Mahabharata (Gita Press) 3.39.76 - Vana Parva, Adhyaya 39, Shloka 76

Arjuna’s Himalayan Departure and the Commencement of Severe Tapas

Janamejaya’s Inquiry; Sages Approach Śiva

Devanagari script

अजेयस्त्वं त्रिभिलोंकै: सदेवासुरमानुषै: । शिवाय विष्णुरूपाय विष्णवे शिवरूपिणे

Transliteration

ajeyaḥ tvaṃ tribhir lokaiḥ sa-devāsura-mānuṣaiḥ | śivāya viṣṇu-rūpāya viṣṇave śiva-rūpiṇe ||

Translation

Du bist unbezwingbar—selbst die drei Welten, mitsamt Göttern, Asuras und Menschen, können dich nicht besiegen. Verehrung dir, der du Śiva in der Gestalt Viṣṇus bist und Viṣṇu in der Gestalt Śivas.

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Word by Word

• अजेयः: unconquerable
• अजेयः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अजेय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• त्रिभिः: by/with three
• त्रिभिः: Karana
• Type: Numeral/Adjective
• Root: त्रि
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• लोकैः: worlds
• लोकैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• स: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स

• देव: gods
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine

• असुर: asuras/demons
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर
• Form: Masculine

• मानुषैः: humans
• मानुषैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• शिवाय: to Shiva (salutation to)
• शिवाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• विष्णु: Vishnu
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु
• Form: Masculine

• रूपाय: to (one) having the form
• रूपाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप
• Form: Neuter, Dative, Singular

• विष्णवे: to Vishnu (salutation to)
• विष्णवे: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• शिव: Shiva
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव
• Form: Masculine

• रूपिणे: to the one having the form (of)
• रूपिणे: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूपिन्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Śiva
• Viṣṇu
• the three worlds (trailokya)
• Devas
• Asuras
• Humans (mānuṣas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches the invincibility of the Supreme and emphasizes sectarian harmony by affirming the essential unity of Śiva and Viṣṇu (Hari-Hara), encouraging devotion that transcends rigid divisions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna is offering a hymn of praise (stuti), declaring the deity’s unsurpassed power over all beings in the three worlds and saluting the deity as simultaneously manifesting as Śiva and as Viṣṇu.