Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अखिल दैवतं सर्व ब्रह्म ब्रह्मणि संश्रितम्‌

Transliteration

akhila-daivataṁ sarvaṁ brahma brahmaṇi saṁśritam

Translation

Chūlādhāra declares that all the gods, in their entirety, are nothing other than Brahman, and that this whole divine multiplicity ultimately rests in Brahman itself—pointing the listener away from sectarian division toward a unified, ethical vision of reality grounded in the One.

Word by Word

अखिलम्entire, whole

दैवतंdivinity; deity (collectively)

सर्वम्all

ब्रह्मBrahman; the Absolute

ब्रह्मणिin Brahman

संश्रितम्resting upon; dependent on; resorted to

Speaker

चुलाधार उवाच

Characters & Entities

Brahman

all deities (akhila-daivata)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches theological and ethical integration: the many gods are expressions of one Brahman, and their reality is grounded in Brahman. This supports a non-sectarian outlook and encourages dharmic conduct based on seeing a single underlying reality rather than competing divine factions.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s didactic setting, Chūlādhāra is instructing his interlocutor by articulating a metaphysical principle: the entire pantheon is encompassed by Brahman and depends upon Brahman, reframing devotion and duty within a unified vision of the Absolute.