Shloka 17
सर्व: शर्व: शिव: स्थाणुर्भूतादिर्निधिरव्यय: । सम्भवो भावनो भर्ता प्रभव: प्रभुरीक्षर:
bhīṣma uvāca | sarvaḥ śarvaḥ śivaḥ sthāṇur bhūtādir nidhir avyayaḥ | sambhavo bhāvano bhartā prabhavaḥ prabhur īśvaraḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：祂是“一切”——在万般形相中皆现；祂是沙尔瓦（Śarva），于劫坏之时收摄众生者；祂是湿婆（Śiva），吉祥而超越三德（guṇa）；祂是斯塔努（Sthāṇu），不动而坚固。祂是众生之初因，也是终劫之际万类归融的不坏归依。祂随自愿而显现，使一切受用者之业与其果报得以成就，护持万有，具至上（神圣）之本源，为万有之主，并为伊湿伐罗（Īśvara）——不为任何限制性附属所拘的主宰威权。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a devotional and ethical vision of the Supreme as both transcendent and immanent: the same Lord who dissolves the cosmos also sustains it, dispenses the fruits of actions, and remains imperishable. This supports dharma by grounding moral causality (karma-phala) and refuge (nidhi/avyaya) in a sovereign, auspicious Lord.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and praises the deity through a litany of divine names. Here he recites epithets of Śiva/Rudra, describing cosmic roles—creation/manifestation, sustenance, karmic governance, and dissolution—to establish the Lord’s supremacy and worthiness of worship.