Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 44

भीष्मस्योत्तरायणप्रतीक्षा तथा युधिष्ठिरागमनम् | Bhīṣma’s uttarāyaṇa moment and Yudhiṣṭhira’s arrival

Devanagari script

धर्मार्थ पुरुषव्यात्र ऋषिकोटी: ससर्ज ह । ता: सृष्टास्तेन विभुना पर्वते गन्धमादने

Transliteration

dharma-artha puruṣa-vyāghra ṛṣi-koṭīḥ sasarja ha | tāḥ sṛṣṭās tena vibhunā parvate gandhamādane ||

Translation

O tiger among men, for the sake of dharma and artha, the all-powerful Lord brought forth crores of seers. Created by that all-pervading Sovereign, those sages dwell on Mount Gandhamādana, ever engaged in austerity. Therefore, O best of twice-born ones, one should always bow to Vāsudeva—skilled in sacred discourse and knower of dharma—for worship of the Supreme Lord leads to the attainment of the highest righteousness.

Word by Word

• धर्मार्थम्: for the sake of dharma (righteous purpose)
• धर्मार्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मार्थ (धर्म + अर्थ)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पुरुषव्याघ्रः: the tiger among men (best of men)
• पुरुषव्याघ्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषव्याघ्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ऋषिकोटीन्: crores of sages
• ऋषिकोटीन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषिकोटि (ऋषि + कोटि)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• ससर्ज: created / brought forth
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular

• ह: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

• ताः: they (those)
• ताः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• सृष्टाः: created
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सृज् (क्त)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• विभुना: by the all-powerful one (the Lord)
• विभुना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• पर्वते: on the mountain
• पर्वते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• गन्धमादने: on (Mount) Gandhamādana
• गन्धमादने: Adhikarana
• Type: ProperNoun
• Root: गन्धमादन
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

ईश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (the Lord)
• Vibhu (the all-powerful Lord)
• Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Ṛṣis (crores of sages; e.g., Sanatkumāra and others as per prose context)
• Gandhamādana Mountain
• Dvija (twice-born, addressed listener)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Worship and reverence toward the Supreme Lord (Vāsudeva/Īśvara) is presented as a direct means to attain the highest dharma; devotion is framed as ethically transformative and dharma-fulfilling.

What is happening in the narrative?

Īśvara speaks, describing how the Lord created vast multitudes of sages for the establishment and practice of dharma and artha, situating them on Mount Gandhamādana in continual austerity, and concluding with an injunction to bow always to Vāsudeva, the authoritative teacher of dharma.