Shloka 223
धर्मद्वारबहुत्वविमर्शः — Reflection on the Many ‘Doors’ of Dharma (Śānti-parva 342)
सम्पूजितो भवेत् पार्थ देवो नारायण: प्रभु: । पाण्डुनन्दन! इन भगवान् रुद्रको नारायणस्वरूप ही जानना चाहिये। पार्थ! प्रत्येक युगमें उन देवाधिदेव महेश्वरकी पूजा करनेसे सर्वसमर्थ भगवान् नारायणकी ही पूजा होती है
sampūjito bhavet pārtha devo nārāyaṇaḥ prabhuḥ | pāṇḍunandana! imaṃ bhagavān rudrako nārāyaṇasvarūpa eva jñātavyaḥ | pārtha! pratyeka-yuge te devādhideva-maheśvarasya pūjanena sarva-samartha-bhagavān nārāyaṇa eva pūjitaḥ bhavati |
Arjuna berkata: “Wahai Pārtha, Tuhan Yang Berdaulat, Narayana, benar-benar dimuliakan apabila pemujaan dipersembahkan dengan niat yang benar. Wahai putera Pāṇḍu, ketahuilah Rudra yang dimuliakan ini tidak lain hanyalah suatu penzahiran Narayana. Wahai Pārtha, pada setiap zaman, dengan memuja Maheshvara—Dewa di atas segala dewa—sesungguhnya seseorang memuja Narayana, Tuhan Yang Maha Berkuasa.”
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches theological unity: Rudra/Maheshvara is to be understood as a manifestation of Narayana, so sincere worship of Maheshvara in any age is effectively worship of Narayana. Ethically, it promotes reverence without rivalry and discourages divisive sectarianism.
Arjuna addresses himself as Partha/Pandunandana in a didactic statement, affirming that honoring Maheshvara (Rudra) amounts to honoring Narayana. The passage functions as a doctrinal clarification within Shanti Parva’s broader instruction on dharma and right understanding.