Shloka 70

Devanagari script

महर्षि: कपिलाचार्य: कृतज्ञों मेदिनीपति: । त्रिपदखस्रिदशाध्यक्षो महाशुड्र: कृतान्तकृत्‌,५३१ महर्षि: कपिलाचार्य:-सांख्यशास्त्रके प्रणेता भगवान्‌ कपिलाचार्य, ५३२ कृतज्ञ:-अपने भक्तोंकी सेवाको बहुत मानकर अपनेको उनका ऋणी समझनेवाले, ५३३ मेदिनीपति:-पृथ्वीके स्वामी, ५३४ त्रिपद:-त्रिलोकीरूप तीन पैरोंवाले विश्वरूप, ५३५ त्रिदशाध्यक्ष:-देवताओंके स्वामी, ५३६ महाशुड्र:-मत्स्यावतारमें महान्‌ सींग धारण करनेवाले, ५३७ कृतान्तकृत्‌-स्मरण करनेवालोंके समस्त कर्मोंका अन्त करनेवाले

Transliteration

mahārṣiḥ kapilācāryaḥ kṛtajño medinīpatiḥ | tripad tridaśādhyakṣo mahāśṛṅgī kṛtāntakṛt ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Er ist der große Seher Kapila, der verehrte Lehrer; der Dankbare, der den Dienst seiner Verehrer als Schuld anrechnet; der Herr der Erde; die dreischrittige kosmische Gestalt, die die drei Welten durchdringt; der Gebieter der Götter; der Großgehörnte; und der Vollender, der alle Handlungen zu ihrem Ende führt.“

Word by Word

महर्षिःgreat sage

कपिलाचार्यःKapila, the teacher

कृतज्ञःgrateful

मेदिनीपतिःlord of the earth

त्रिपदःthree-stepped / having three strides

त्रिदशाध्यक्षःoverlord of the gods

महाशूद्रःthe great Śūdra (epithet)

कृतान्तकृत्ender of fate/death; one who brings about the end

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Kapila

Devas (Tridaśa)

Three worlds (Trailokya)

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 verse strings together honorific epithets to present the divine as simultaneously teacher (Kapila), sovereign (lord of earth and gods), cosmic pervader (tripad), and liberator (kṛtāntakṛt). Ethically, it highlights gratitude (kṛtajña) as a divine quality—valuing devotees’ service and responding with protection and release from the bondage of action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is describing the Lord through a litany of names and attributes. The passage functions as praise and identification: it situates the deity as the source of wisdom (Kapila/Sāṅkhya), ruler of cosmic orders (earth, gods, three worlds), and the power that ends karmic consequences for those who remember and worship.