Shloka 29
Śiśupāla-vākya: Bhīṣma-nindā and the ‘Haṃsa’ Exemplum (शिशुपालवाक्यम् — भीष्मनिन्दा, हंसदृष्टान्तः)
ऊर्ध्व॑ तिर्यगधश्चैव यावती जगतो गति: । सदेवकेषु लोकेषु भगवान् केशवो मुखम्
ūrdhvaṁ tiryag adhaś caiva yāvatī jagato gatiḥ | sadevakeṣu lokeṣu bhagavān keśavo mukham | sūrya-candra-nakṣatra-grahā diśaś ca vidiśaś ca sarvaṁ tasmin pratiṣṭhitam | yathā vedeṣv agnihotraṁ karmasu gāyatrī chandaḥsu manuṣyeṣu rājā nadīṣu samudraḥ nakṣatreṣu candramāḥ tejasviṣu sūryaḥ parvateṣu meruḥ pakṣiṣu garuḍaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ | tathā devaloka-sahiteṣu sarveṣu lokeṣu ūrdhva-adho-dakṣiṇa-vāma-yāvatīṣu gatiṣu sarvāśrayeṣu śrīkṛṣṇa eva śreṣṭhaḥ |
भीष्म म्हणाले—जगाची गती जिथवर आहे—वर, आडवी व खाली—देवलोकासह सर्व लोकांत भगवान केशवच प्रधान आहेत.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches the supremacy of Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Keśava) as the ultimate support and highest principle across all realms and directions; all cosmic powers and excellences are grounded in Him, and analogies from ritual, metre, nature, and kingship illustrate how one ‘best’ stands out within each domain.
Bhīṣma is speaking in the Sabha Parva context, offering a theological praise of Kṛṣṇa. He frames Kṛṣṇa as the foremost reality in the universe and supports this claim through a series of well-known hierarchies (Agnihotra among rites, Gāyatrī among metres, Meru among mountains, Garuḍa among birds, etc.).