Shloka 38

Devanagari script

आवर्तनो निवृत्तात्मा संवृत: सम्प्रमर्दन: । अहःसंवर्तको वल्लिरनिलो धरणीधर:

Transliteration

āvartano nivṛttātmā saṁvṛtaḥ sampramardanaḥ | ahaḥsaṁvartako vahnir anilo dharaṇīdharaḥ ||

Translation

ভীষ্ম বললেন—তিনি আবর্তন, যিনি সংসারচক্রকে প্রবাহিত করেন; আবার নিবৃত্তাত্মা, যিনি নিজে বন্ধন থেকে চিরমুক্ত। তিনি সংবৃত, স্বীয় যোগমায়ায় আচ্ছন্ন; এবং সম্প্রমর্দন, যিনি রুদ্রাদি উগ্র রূপে সকলকে দমন ও চূর্ণ করেন। তিনি অহঃসংবর্তক, সূর্যরূপে দিনের প্রবর্তক; বহ্নি, যিনি হবি বহন করেন; অনিল, যিনি প্রাণরূপ বায়ু; এবং ধরণীধর, যিনি বরাহ ও শেষরূপে পৃথিবীকে ধারণ করেন।

Word by Word

• आवर्तनः: the turner/causer of cyclic revolution (of saṃsāra)
• आवर्तनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निवृत्तात्मा: one whose self is withdrawn; ever free from bondage
• निवृत्तात्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवृत्त-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संवृतः: covered/veiled (concealed)
• संवृतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संवृत (कृदन्त; √वृ 'to cover/choose' with सम्-)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सम्प्रमर्दनः: the thorough crusher/destroyer
• सम्प्रमर्दनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्प्रमर्दन (प्रातिपदिक; from √मृद् 'to crush' with सम्-प्र-)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अहःसंवर्तकः: the maker/producer of day (as the sun)
• अहःसंवर्तकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहस्-संवर्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वल्लिः: creeper/vine (epithet; lit. a creeper)
• वल्लिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल्लि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अनिलः: wind; vital air
• अनिलः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धरणीधरः: supporter of the earth (earth-bearer)
• धरणीधरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी-धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Sūrya (Sun)
• Agni (Fire)
• Vāyu/Anila (Wind)
• Varāha
• Śeṣa
• Rudra (implied by 'sampramardanaḥ' gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the Supreme Lord is one, yet manifests as many cosmic functions—sun, fire, wind, and world-support—while remaining inwardly free and untouched by bondage. Ethically, it urges reverence and alignment with dharma by recognizing a single divine order behind diverse powers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is praising the Lord through a chain of epithets, describing how the same divine reality operates the cosmos (time/day, sacrifice, breath, and the earth’s support) while remaining transcendent and veiled by yogic power.