Shloka 38

Devanagari script

आवर्तनो निवृत्तात्मा संवृत: सम्प्रमर्दन: । अहःसंवर्तको वल्लिरनिलो धरणीधर:

Transliteration

āvartano nivṛttātmā saṁvṛtaḥ sampramardanaḥ | ahaḥsaṁvartako vahnir anilo dharaṇīdharaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : Il est celui qui met en marche la roue de l’existence, et pourtant son propre Soi demeure à jamais retiré de tout lien. Voilé par sa puissance yogique, il devient néanmoins la force qui écrase et soumet tout par ses formes terribles. Comme Soleil, il fait naître le jour selon l’ordre; comme Feu, il porte l’oblation; comme Vent, il se meut en souffle vital; et comme Soutien de la Terre—tel Varāha et Śeṣa—il maintient le monde. Ainsi le Seigneur est loué comme l’unique réalité se manifestant en de multiples fonctions cosmiques.

Word by Word

• आवर्तनः: the turner/causer of cyclic revolution (of saṃsāra)
• आवर्तनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निवृत्तात्मा: one whose self is withdrawn; ever free from bondage
• निवृत्तात्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवृत्त-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संवृतः: covered/veiled (concealed)
• संवृतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संवृत (कृदन्त; √वृ 'to cover/choose' with सम्-)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सम्प्रमर्दनः: the thorough crusher/destroyer
• सम्प्रमर्दनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्प्रमर्दन (प्रातिपदिक; from √मृद् 'to crush' with सम्-प्र-)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अहःसंवर्तकः: the maker/producer of day (as the sun)
• अहःसंवर्तकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहस्-संवर्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वल्लिः: creeper/vine (epithet; lit. a creeper)
• वल्लिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल्लि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अनिलः: wind; vital air
• अनिलः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धरणीधरः: supporter of the earth (earth-bearer)
• धरणीधरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी-धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Sūrya (Sun)
• Agni (Fire)
• Vāyu/Anila (Wind)
• Varāha
• Śeṣa
• Rudra (implied by 'sampramardanaḥ' gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the Supreme Lord is one, yet manifests as many cosmic functions—sun, fire, wind, and world-support—while remaining inwardly free and untouched by bondage. Ethically, it urges reverence and alignment with dharma by recognizing a single divine order behind diverse powers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is praising the Lord through a chain of epithets, describing how the same divine reality operates the cosmos (time/day, sacrifice, breath, and the earth’s support) while remaining transcendent and veiled by yogic power.