Shloka 18
भीष्म उवाच सुरासुरगुरो देव विष्णो त्वं वक्तुमहसि । शिवाय विश्वरूपाय यन्मां पृच्छद् युधिष्ठिर:,भीष्मजी बोले--देवासुरगुरो! विष्णुदेव! राजा युधिष्ठिरने मुझसे जो पूछा है, उस विश्वरूप शिवके माहात्म्यको बतानेके योग्य आप ही हैं
bhīṣma uvāca surāsuraguro deva viṣṇo tvaṁ vaktum arhasi | śivāya viśvarūpāya yan māṁ pṛcchad yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai Dewa Viṣṇu, guru yang dimuliakan oleh para dewa dan asura! Hanya Engkau layak untuk menuturkannya. Yudhiṣṭhira telah bertanya kepadaku tentang kebesaran Śiva dalam rupa semesta; Engkaulah yang benar-benar berkelayakan untuk menghuraikan kemuliaan suci itu.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models dharmic humility and theological inclusivity: Bhishma acknowledges the limits of his own authority and points to Vishnu as the most competent speaker on Shiva’s universal majesty, implying reverence across divine forms and the primacy of qualified instruction.
In response to Yudhishthira’s inquiry about the greatness of Shiva in his cosmic form, Bhishma turns to Vishnu and requests that Vishnu himself explain the subject, presenting Vishnu as the appropriate authority to narrate Shiva’s viśvarūpa-māhātmya.