Shloka 109
सनात् सनातनतम:ः कपिल: कपिरप्यय: । स्वस्तिद: स्वस्तिकृत् स्वस्ति स्वस्तिभुक् स्वस्तिदक्षिण:
sanāt sanātanatamaḥ kapilaḥ kapir apyayaḥ | svastidaḥ svastikṛt svasti svastibhuk svastidakṣiṇaḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: He is eternal, and the most ancient of all; He is Kapila, and also Kapi; He is the final dissolution into which all returns. He bestows auspicious well-being, He brings about the welfare of those who seek refuge, He Himself is auspiciousness, He safeguards the devotees’ highest good, and He is swift and fully capable in granting welfare.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse praises the Supreme as timeless and primordial, the source and end of the cosmos (apyaya), and as the active giver, maker, and protector of auspicious welfare (svasti) for those who take refuge—linking metaphysical supremacy with ethical benevolence toward devotees.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues his instruction by reciting divine names (a hymn-like enumeration). Here he strings together epithets emphasizing the Lord’s eternity, cosmic role in dissolution, and His power to grant and safeguard auspicious well-being.