Shloka 15

Devanagari script

तथा धातार्यमा चैव जयन्तो भास्करस्तथा । त्वष्टा पूषा तथैवेन्द्रो द्वादशो विष्णुरुच्यते

Transliteration

tathā dhātāryamā caiva jayanto bhāskarastathā | tvaṣṭā pūṣā tathaivendro dvādaśo viṣṇurucyate ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: „Ebenso Dhātā und Aryamā, ferner Jayanta und Bhāskara; Tvaṣṭā, Pūṣā und auch Indra — diese werden als die zwölf Namen (Gestalten) Viṣṇus (Viṣṇu) bezeichnet.“

Word by Word

• तथा: thus; likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• धाता: Dhātā (a deity/name of Āditya)
• धाता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अर्यमा: Aryamā (a deity/name of Āditya)
• अर्यमा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्यमन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed; just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• जयन्तः: Jayanta (a deity/name of Āditya)
• जयन्तः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जयन्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भास्करः: Bhāskara (the Sun; a deity/name of Āditya)
• भास्करः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• त्वष्टा: Tvaṣṭā (divine artisan; a deity/name of Āditya)
• त्वष्टा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वष्टृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पूषा: Pūṣā (a deity/name of Āditya)
• पूषा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूषन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• इन्द्रः: Indra (a deity/name of Āditya in this list)
• इन्द्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• द्वादशः: the twelfth
• द्वादशः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उच्यते: is said; is called
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Present, Passive, Third, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Viṣṇu
• Dhātā
• Aryamā
• Jayanta
• Bhāskara (Sun)
• Tvaṣṭā
• Pūṣā (Pūṣan)
• Indra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the sustaining divine principle (Viṣṇu) is understood through multiple functional manifestations—creator-like establishment (Dhātā), social harmony (Aryamā), solar illumination (Bhāskara), craftsmanship (Tvaṣṭā), nourishment and guidance (Pūṣā), and sovereign power (Indra). Ethically, it encourages honoring the many supports of life and aligning oneself with the order they represent.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues instructing on dharma and sacred observances. Here he enumerates divine names/forms, identifying a set of deities as the twelvefold designation of Viṣṇu, as part of a broader discourse that links right conduct with reverence for the cosmic powers.