Shloka 193
Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment
Parāśara’s Instruction
यथा सर्वेषु देवेषु वरिष्ठो भगवान् शिव: । तथा स्तवो वरिष्ठो5यं स्तवानां ब्रह्मसम्मित:
yathā sarveṣu deveṣu variṣṭho bhagavān śivaḥ | tathā stavo variṣṭho 'yaṃ stavānāṃ brahmasammitaḥ ||
بھیشم نے کہا—جس طرح تمام دیوتاؤں میں بھگوان شِو سب سے برتر ہیں، اسی طرح یہ ستَو بھی تمام ستوتیوں میں سب سے برتر ہے—برہمن کے برابر معتبر۔
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates devotion expressed through sacred praise: as Śiva is supreme among the gods, so a particular stuti is declared supreme among hymns, even ‘equal to Brahman’—implying that rightly directed praise can function as a highest spiritual means and embodiment of sacred truth.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and spiritual disciplines. Here he introduces or commends a specific hymn of praise to Śiva, asserting its unsurpassed status and sanctity.