Shloka 16

Devanagari script

अदैवं दैवतं कुर्युर्दवतं चाप्पदैवतम्‌ । लोकानन्यान्‌ सृजेयुस्ते लोकपालांश्ष कोपिता:

Transliteration

adaivaṃ daivataṃ kuryur daivataṃ cāpy adaivatam | lokān anyān sṛjeyus te lokapālāṃś ca kopitāḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : Par la force de leur austérité, les brahmanes peuvent rendre divin ce qui ne l’est pas ; et, s’ils s’irritent, ils peuvent dépouiller même les dieux de leur divinité. Dans leur courroux, ils peuvent faire naître d’autres mondes et créer de nouveaux gardiens des mondes—montrant que la puissance spirituelle, guidée par la maîtrise, soutient l’ordre, mais unie à la colère peut le renverser.

Word by Word

• अदैवम्: non-divine (one that is not a god)
• अदैवम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दैवतम्: a deity; divine being
• दैवतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कुर्युः: they could make
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• दैवतम्: a deity
• दैवतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• अपि: even; also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)

• अदैवतम्: non-divine; deprived of divinity
• अदैवतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• लोकान्: worlds
• लोकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अन्यान्: other; different
• अन्यान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सृजेयुः: they could create
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• ते: they (those)
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• लोकपालान्: guardians of the worlds (Lokapālas)
• लोकपालान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोकपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• कोपिताः: angered; enraged
• कोपिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोपित (कृदन्त; कुप्/कोपय्-प्रेरणार्थक-भाव)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• brāhmaṇāḥ (brahmins)
• daivatāni (gods/deities)
• lokāḥ (worlds/realms)
• lokapālāḥ (world-guardians)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Tapas (austerity) grants immense spiritual potency, but its ethical value depends on self-control: disciplined power sustains dharma, while anger can destabilize even the divine order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is emphasizing to his listener the extraordinary efficacy of brahmins’ ascetic power—able to elevate the non-divine, depose gods from their status, and even generate new worlds and their guardians—especially when provoked.