Shloka 47

Devanagari script

इष्टोडविशिष्ट: शिष्टेष्ट: शिखण्डी नहुषो वृष: । क्रोधहा क्रोधकृत्कर्ता विश्वबाहुर्महीधर:,३०८ इष्ट:-परमानन्दरूप होनेसे सर्वप्रिय, ३०९ अविशिष्ट:-सम्पूर्ण विशेषणोंसे रहित, ३१० शिष्टेष्ट:-शिष्ट पुरुषोंके इष्टदेव, ३११ शिखण्डी-मयूरपिच्छको अपना शिरोभूषण बना लेनेवाले, ३१२ नहुष:-भूतोंको मायासे बाँधनेवाले, ३१३ वृष:-कामनाओंको पूर्ण करनेवाले धर्मस्वरूप, ३१४ क्रोधहा-क्रोधका नाश करनेवाले, ३१५ क्रोधकृत्कर्त्ता-क्रोध करनेवाले दैत्यादिके विनाशक, ३१६ विश्वबाहु:-सब ओर बाहुओंवाले, ३१७ महीधर:-पृथ्वीको धारण करनेवाले

Transliteration

iṣṭo’viśiṣṭaḥ śiṣṭeṣṭaḥ śikhaṇḍī nahuṣo vṛṣaḥ | krodhahā krodhakṛtkartā viśvabāhur mahīdharaḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: Er ist der Geliebte—allen teuer, weil er selbst die Gestalt höchster Seligkeit ist; der Unqualifizierte—jenseits begrenzender Attribute; der erwählte Herr der Gebildeten und Disziplinierten; der Pfauenbekrönte, der die Pfauenfeder als Kopfschmuck trägt; Nahuṣa, der die Wesen durch Māyā bindet; Vṛṣa, die Verkörperung des Dharma, der rechtmäßige Wünsche erfüllt; der Vernichter des Zorns; der Erschläger derer, die im Zorn handeln (wie dämonische Mächte); der Allarmige, dessen Arme überallhin reichen; und der Erdträger, der die Welt aufrechterhält.

Word by Word

इष्टःbeloved, dear

अविशिष्टःundistinguished; without special limitation

शिष्टेष्टःdear to the virtuous / worshipped by the learned

शिखण्डीone wearing a crest/peacock-feather (crested one)

नहुषःNahusha (name/epithet)

वृषःbull; (figuratively) dharma/virile strength

क्रोधहाdestroyer of anger

क्रोधकृत्कर्ताmaker/agent of (righteous) wrath; one who causes/executes wrath

विश्वबाहुःone whose arms are everywhere; all-armed

महीधरःsupporter of the earth; earth-bearer

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

the Supreme Lord (Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa as implied by the sahasranāma-style epithets)

māyā

earth (mahī)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The Divine is praised as both beyond limiting attributes (aviśiṣṭaḥ) and as the active guardian of dharma—destroying anger and wrath-driven forces (krodhahā, krodhakṛtkartā) while sustaining the world (mahīdharaḥ). Ethically, it elevates self-control over anger as a divine-aligned virtue and presents dharma as protected and fulfilled by the Supreme.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira and recites a litany of divine names/epithets in praise of the Supreme Lord. This verse is one segment of that praise, enumerating qualities that portray the Lord as beloved, worshipped by the righteous, symbolically adorned (peacock-crested), and as the cosmic supporter who subdues anger and protects the world.