Shloka 12

Nāgendra–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda: Praśna-vidhi and Dharmic Approach on the Gomatī Riverbank

Devanagari script

ईश्वरो हि जगत्स्रष्टा प्रभुनोातियणो विराट्‌

Transliteration

īśvaro hi jagatsraṣṭā prabhur nārāyaṇo virāṭ

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: Denn der Herr—Nārāyaṇa, der allgegenwärtige Virāṭ—ist wahrhaft der Schöpfer des Universums und der höchste Gebieter.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: the Lord
• ईश्वरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• जगत्-स्रष्टा: creator of the world
• जगत्-स्रष्टा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत्स्रष्टृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रभुः: the master
• प्रभुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अतियणः: the exceedingly swift/impetuous one
• अतियणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतियण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विराट्: Virāṭ (the cosmic being)
• विराट्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विराट्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Īśvara
• Nārāyaṇa
• Virāṭ
• Jagat (the universe)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts that the supreme Lord—identified as Nārāyaṇa and the cosmic Virāṭ—is the creator and ruler of the universe, grounding dharma in a divinely ordered cosmos.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana, as narrator, states a doctrinal point within Śānti Parva’s instruction: the discussion turns to the nature of ultimate authority and creation, identifying the supreme principle as Nārāyaṇa/ Virāṭ.