Shloka 8

श्रेयो-धर्मकर्मविचारः

Inquiry into Śreyas, Dharma, and Karma

Devanagari script

सृजत्येष महाबाहो भूतग्रामं चराचरम्‌ | एष चाक्षिपते काले काले विसृजते पुन:,“पर महाबाहो! ये श्रीविष्णु ही सम्पूर्ण चराचर प्राणिसमुदायकी सृष्टि करते हैं और ये ही समय आनेपर उसका विनाश करते हैं एवं समय आनेपर पुन: सृष्टि भी करते हैं

Transliteration

sṛjaty eṣa mahābāho bhūtagrāmaṃ carācaram | eṣa cākṣipate kāle kāle visṛjate punaḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “O mighty-armed one, He brings forth the entire multitude of beings—both moving and unmoving. And He, in due season, draws it back; in due season, He releases it again.”

Word by Word

• सृजति: creates
• सृजति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• एषः: this (one), he
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• भूतग्रामम्: the multitude of beings
• भूतग्रामम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• चराचरम्: moving and unmoving
• चराचरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चराचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एषः: this (one), he
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• आक्षिपते: withdraws, draws back (destroys)
• आक्षिपते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• काले: in time, at the (proper) time
• काले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• काले: in time, at the (proper) time
• काले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• विसृजते: sends forth again, recreates
• विसृजते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Mahābāhu (addressee, traditionally Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Śrī Viṣṇu (implied by context)
• Bhūtagrāma (all beings)
• Time (kāla, implied as the cosmic cycle)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

All beings arise and subside according to a higher divine governance operating through time; recognizing this supports dharmic humility, steadiness, and reduced attachment to transient outcomes.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva, Bhishma instructs the listener on higher principles; here he describes the Lord (identified in the surrounding context as Viṣṇu) as the agent who cyclically creates, withdraws, and re-creates the world of beings.