Shloka 19

Adhyāya 70: Sātyaki’s Arrow-Display and the Bhūriśravas Engagement; Twilight Withdrawal

Devanagari script

तपसा नियतो देवं विधान सर्वदेहिनाम्‌

Transliteration

tapasā niyato devaṃ vidhānaṃ sarvadehinām | yo manuṣyaḥ tapasyāṃ tatparaḥ saṃyama-niyamayoḥ pālanaṃ kurvan amāvāsyāṃ ca pūrṇimāyāṃ ca samasta-dehadhāriṇām āśrayaṃ brahma-yoga-svarūpaṃ bhagavantaṃ keśavaṃ ārādhayati sa paramaṃ padaṃ prāpnoti |

Translation

Bhishma said: A person disciplined by austerity, devoted to penance, and faithful to self-restraint and observances—who worships on the new-moon and full-moon days Lord Keshava, the divine ground and support of all embodied beings, whose nature is Brahman and Yoga—attains the highest state.

Word by Word

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• नियतः: disciplined, restrained
• नियतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• देवम्: the god (Lord)
• देवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विधानम्: the ordinance/appointed rule
• विधानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सर्वदेहिनाम्: of all embodied beings
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वदेहिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Keshava (Vishnu/Krishna)
• Amavasya (new moon)
• Purnima (full moon)
• Brahman
• Yoga

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Disciplined austerity joined with ethical self-restraint (saṃyama) and observances (niyama), expressed as regular worship of Keshava—understood as the support of all beings and as Brahman/Yoga—leads to the highest attainment (parama pada), i.e., liberation or the supreme spiritual goal.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is instructing by describing a religious-ethical practice: a devoted person performs tapas and follows restraints and observances, worshipping Keshava on the sacred lunar days of new moon and full moon; Bhishma states the fruit of this practice as attainment of the supreme state.