Shloka 2

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

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच वासुदेवो महद्‌ भूतं सर्वदैवतदैवतम्‌ । नपरं पुण्डरीकाक्षाद्‌ दृश्यते भरतर्षभ

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | vāsudevo mahad bhūtaṃ sarvadaivatadaivatam | na paraṃ puṇḍarīkākṣād dṛśyate bharatarṣabha ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “Vāsudeva (Krishna) is truly a great being—the very God of all the gods. O bull among the Bharatas, none is seen as higher than lotus-eyed Puṇḍarīkākṣa (Krishna).”

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वासुदेवः: Vasudeva (Krishna)
• वासुदेवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• भूतम्: being/entity
• भूतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वदैवतदैवतम्: the god of all gods
• सर्वदैवतदैवतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैवत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• परम्: higher/superior (anything)
• परम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पुण्डरीकाक्षात्: than the lotus-eyed one (Krishna)
• पुण्डरीकाक्षात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्डरीकाक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• दृश्यते: is seen / is found
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada, Passive/Impersonal (karmani-prayoga)

• भरतर्षभ: O bull among the Bharatas (best of Bharatas)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरतर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Puṇḍarīkākṣa (epithet of Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu)
• Bharatarṣabha (address to Yudhiṣṭhira)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts Krishna’s supreme divinity: he is not merely one god among others but the ‘deity of all deities.’ Ethically, it frames right action and refuge in dharma as grounded in recognition of the highest divine principle embodied in Krishna.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s discourse during the Bhishma Parva, the elder warrior speaks in praise of Krishna, addressing Yudhiṣṭhira as ‘best of the Bharatas,’ and declares that no one surpasses lotus-eyed Krishna.