Shloka 25
Śiva-stavarāja: Upamanyu’s Preface and Initiation of the Śarva-Nāma Enumeration
Anuśāsana-parva 17
ब्रहद्मणामपि यद् ब्रह्म पराणामपि यत् परम्
vāyudeva uvāca | brahmaṇām api yad brahma parāṇām api yat param | yo vedānām api veda uttamānām api cottamaḥ | tejasām api tejaḥ sa tapasām api tapaḥ | śāntānām api yaḥ śāntaḥ kāntīnām api kāntiḥ | jitendriyāṇām api yaḥ jitendriyaḥ buddhimatām api buddhir | devānām api devo ya ṛṣīṇām api ṛṣiḥ | yajñānām api yajñaḥ sa kalyāṇānām api kalyāṇam | rudrāṇām api rudro yaḥ prabhāvavatām īśvarāṇām api prabhā | yoginām api yogī ca kāraṇānām api kāraṇam | yasmāt sarve lokāḥ prabhavanti punar eva ca tasminn eva pralīyante | yaḥ sarvabhūtātma sa evāmita-tejā bhagavān śivaḥ | tasya me śṛṇu vīra sahasram aṣṭottaraṃ nāmnāṃ varṇanam | śravaṇamātreṇa ca sarvakāmān avāpsyasi ||
风神伐由天说道：“他是知梵者之梵（Brahman），亦是一切至上之至上；是诸吠陀之‘吠陀’；是至高中的至高；是光辉之光辉；是苦行之苦行；是寂静者中最寂静；是光明之光明；是自制者中最自制；是智者之智；是诸神之神；是诸仙之仙；是诸祭之祭；是诸吉祥之吉祥；是诸鲁陀罗之鲁陀罗；是强大主宰之主权威严；是诸瑜伽行者之瑜伽行者；亦是一切因之因—— 诸世界由他而生，又复归于他而灭；他是一切众生之自性（我）。他便是光辉无量的主——湿婆（Śiva）。人中之杰啊，请听我诵说他的一千零八圣名；但闻其声，便能成就你的一切所愿。”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents Śiva as the supreme ground of all excellences—knowledge, austerity, peace, radiance, self-control, and sacrificial merit—and as the cosmic source into whom all worlds arise and dissolve. It also teaches the devotional efficacy of śravaṇa (reverent hearing): listening to the Lord’s names is portrayed as a powerful spiritual act that fulfills aims and purifies intention.
Vāyudeva begins a formal praise of Śiva, introducing him through a chain of superlative epithets and then announcing the forthcoming recitation of Śiva’s 1008 names. He addresses a heroic listener (implicitly a ‘best of men’) and promises that mere hearing of the name-litany will grant the listener’s desired goals.