Shloka 33

Devanagari script

सर्वभूतात्मभूतो हि वासुदेवो महाबल: । पृथिवी वायुराकाशमापो ज्योतिश्न॒ पञचमम्‌

Transliteration

sarvabhūtātmabhūto hi vāsudevo mahābalaḥ | pṛthivī vāyur ākāśam āpo jyotiṣ ca pañcamam ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “Vāsudeva, mighty in power, has become the very Self (Ātman) of all beings. Earth, wind, space, water, and light—these five great elements are encompassed in him.”

Word by Word

• सर्वभूतात्मभूतः: become the Self of all beings
• सर्वभूतात्मभूतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-भूत-आत्म-भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

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

• महाबलः: mighty/very powerful
• महाबलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पृथिवी: earth
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• वायुः: wind/air
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आकाशम्: space/ether
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• आपः: waters
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• ज्योतिः: light/fire
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पञ्चमम्: the fifth
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Vāsudeva

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That Vāsudeva is immanent as the inner Self of all beings and is identified with the fundamental constituents of the cosmos; this vision supports dharma by encouraging reverence, restraint, and compassion toward all life.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues his discourse to Yudhiṣṭhira, praising and defining Vāsudeva in metaphysical terms—describing him as the indwelling self and as encompassing the great elements.