Bhishma said You are the Lord of all the gods and the Asuras. You are illustrious. You are Vishnu, because you pervade the entire universe. You should describe those subjects connected with Shiva of universal about which Yudhishthira has asked me.
भीष्म उवाच सुरासुरगुरो देव विष्णो त्वं वक्तुमर्हसि। शिवाय विष्णुरूपाय यन्मां पृच्छद् युधिष्ठिरः॥