Shloka 21

Sanatsujāta-Āhvāna (Summoning Sanatsujāta) — Vidura’s Invocation and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Doubt

Devanagari script

य एतद्‌ वा भगवान्‌ स नित्यो विकारयोगेन करोति विश्वम्‌ । तथा च तच्छक्तिरिति सम मन्यते तथार्थयोगे च भवन्ति वेदा:

Transliteration

ya etad vā bhagavān sa nityo vikārayogena karoti viśvam | tathā ca tacchaktir iti sa manyate tathārthayoge ca bhavanti vedāḥ ||

Translation

Sanatsujāta sprach: „Jener ewige Herr bringt dieses ganze Universum durch die Verbindung mit der verwandelnden Kraft (māyā) hervor. Diese Kraft wird als Seine eigene śakti verstanden. Die Weisen nehmen es so an; und um eben diesen Sinn zu begründen, stehen auch die Veden als maßgebliches Zeugnis da.“

Word by Word

• {'yaḥ': 'who', 'etat': 'this (universe/manifestation, as being discussed)', 'vā': 'indeed / or (emphatic particle in context)', 'bhagavān': 'the Blessed Lord

• the supreme divine person', 'saḥ': 'he

• that one', 'nityaḥ': 'eternal

• ever-existing', 'vikāra': 'change

• modification', 'yogena': 'by connection/association

• through the means of', 'karoti': 'makes

• brings about', 'viśvam': 'the whole universe

• all that exists', 'tathā': 'thus

• in that manner', 'ca': 'and', 'tat-śaktiḥ': 'that power

• His power (śakti)', 'iti': 'thus

• as (so) stated', 'manyate': 'is considered

• is held to be true', 'tathā-artha': 'that very meaning

• such a purport', 'yoge': 'in the application/establishment

• in the interpretive linkage', 'bhavanti': 'are

• are found to be', 'vedāḥ': 'the Vedas

Speaker

सनत्युजात उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanatsujāta
• Bhagavān (the Eternal Lord)
• Śakti/Māyā
• Vedas
• Mahātma/wise persons (implicit)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the eternal Supreme Lord is the true cause of the universe’s manifestation, bringing it forth through His own power (śakti), often understood as māyā; and that this view is affirmed by the Vedas as a valid authority.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Sanatsujātīya section of Udyoga Parva, Sanatsujāta instructs Dhṛtarāṣṭra on ultimate reality and liberation-oriented wisdom; here he explains the relation between the eternal Lord, His creative power, and the Vedic basis for this understanding.