Mahabharata 6.71.6 — Bhishma Parva, Adhyaya 71, Shloka 6

Makara-vyūha and Krauñca-prativyūha at Sunrise (मकरव्यूहः क्रौञ्चप्रतिव्यूहश्च)

Devanagari script

पूर्वे प्रजानिसगे च दक्षमाहु: प्रजापतिम्‌ । स्रष्टारं सर्वलोकानामजझ्िस्त्वां तथाब्रवीत्‌

Transliteration

pūrve prajānisarge ca dakṣam āhuḥ prajāpatiṃ | sraṣṭāraṃ sarvalokānām aṅgirāstvāṃ tathābravīt ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: «In der frühesten Zeit, bei der ersten Schöpfung der Wesen, wurdest du als Dakṣa, der Herr der Geschöpfe (Prajāpati), verkündet. Auch Aṅgiras erklärt dich zum Schöpfer aller Welten.»

Word by Word

• पूर्वे: formerly, in the earlier (time)
• पूर्वे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• प्रजाः: creatures, subjects
• प्रजाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• निसर्गे: at the creation, in the emanation
• निसर्गे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: निसर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• दक्षम्: Daksha
• दक्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आहुः: they have said / they call
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• प्रजापतिम्: Prajapati, lord of creatures
• प्रजापतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजापति
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• स्रष्टारम्: creator
• स्रष्टारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रष्टृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सर्वलोकानाम्: of all worlds
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वलोक
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अङ्गिराः: Angiras (the sage)
• अङ्गिराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गिरस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Singular

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अब्रवीत्: said, spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Dakṣa
• Prajāpati
• Aṅgiras
• sarvaloka (all worlds)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse grounds a claim of supreme creative authority in ancient tradition: revered seers and early cosmogonic memory identify the addressed figure as Dakṣa-Prajāpati, the universal creator. Ethically, it appeals to śruti-smṛti style authority—legitimacy is established through recognized sages and primordial precedent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma speaks in praise/identification, citing earlier times and the testimony of the seer Aṅgiras to describe the addressee as Dakṣa, a Prajāpati, and as the creator of all worlds—strengthening the stature of the person being addressed within the ongoing discourse.