Shloka 233
धर्मद्वारबहुत्वविमर्शः — Reflection on the Many ‘Doors’ of Dharma (Śānti-parva 342)
तस्मादात्मानमेवाग्रे रुद्रं सम्पूजयाम्यहम् | पाण्डुकुमार! मैं सम्पूर्ण जगत्का आत्मा हूँ। इसलिये मैं पहले अपने आत्मारूप रुद्रकी ही पूजा करता हूँ
tasmād ātmānam evāgre rudraṃ sampūjayāmy aham |
Darum verehre ich zuerst Rudra als mein eigenes Selbst. O Sohn des Pāṇḍu, ich bin das innere Selbst des gesamten Universums; daher ehre ich zu Beginn Rudra in der Gestalt meines innewohnenden Wesens.
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a theological-ethical vision in which Rudra is not merely an external deity but the very Self (Ātman). Worship is grounded in inner realization: honoring the divine as the indwelling consciousness of oneself and of all beings.
Arjuna speaks and declares that he will first perform worship of Rudra, identifying Rudra with his own Self. The statement frames devotion as beginning from the recognition of the divine presence within, before any outward ritual or action.