Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment
Parāśara’s Instruction
नमस्ते देवदेवेश देवारिबलसूदन । देवेन्द्रबलविष्टम्भ देवदानवपूजित
namaste devadeveśa devāribalasūdana | devendrabalaviṣṭambha devadānavapūjita ||
“Pagpupugay sa Iyo, O Panginoon ng mga diyos, Diyos ng mga diyos! Ikaw ang pumupuksa sa mga hukbo ng mga kaaway ng mga diyos, at Ikaw ang makapipigil maging sa lakas ni Indra. Sinasamba Ka ng mga diyos at ng mga asura—kapwa.”
भीष्म उवाच
True sovereignty belongs to the divine principle that upholds dharma: it can subdue hostile forces and even restrain the pride of the mighty (symbolized by Indra). The verse also implies that genuine divinity is recognized across opposing camps—worthy of worship beyond partisan identity.
In Śānti Parva’s didactic setting, Bhīṣma speaks a hymn-like salutation, praising the Lord with epithets that highlight protective power and universal veneration by both devas and dānavas.