Anushasana Parva Adhyaya 164 Shloka 35 - Mahabharata | French | Vedapath

Vyasa

Shloka 35

Devanagari script

वायुर्भूत्वा विक्षिपते च विश्व- मनग्निर्भूत्वा दहते विश्वरूप: । आपो भूत्वा मज्जयते च सर्व ब्रह्मा भूत्वा सृजते विश्वसंघान्‌

Transliteration

vāyur bhūtvā vikṣipate ca viśvam agnir bhūtvā dahate viśvarūpaḥ | āpo bhūtvā majjayate ca sarvaṁ brahmā bhūtvā sṛjate viśvasaṅghān ||

Translation

Bhishma dit : Prenant la forme du Vent, il met le monde entier en mouvement ; prenant la forme du Feu, l’Être aux mille formes le consume ; devenant les Eaux, il submerge toute chose ; et devenant Brahmā, il fait naître les agrégats de l’univers.

Word by Word

वायुःwind

भूत्वाhaving become

विक्षिपतेmoves about / agitates / impels

चand

विश्वम्the universe

अग्निःfire

भूत्वाhaving become

दहतेburns

विश्वरूपःthe one of universal form

आपःwaters

भूत्वाhaving become

मज्जयतेcauses to sink / submerges

चand

सर्वम्all (everything)

ब्रह्माBrahmā (the creator)

भूत्वाhaving become

सृजतेcreates / emits

विश्वसंघान्aggregates/collections of the universe (world-complexes)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Vāyu (Wind)

Agni (Fire)

Āpaḥ (Waters)

Brahmā

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the divine (identified here with Śrī Kṛṣṇa) pervades and governs all cosmic functions—motion (wind), transformation (fire), dissolution (waters), and creation (Brahmā). Ethically, it supports dharmic reverence for the cosmic order and devotion to the one Lord behind many powers.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs and extols sacred truths. Here he offers a hymn-like description of Kṛṣṇa’s universal agency, portraying him as the power operating through elemental and creator forms.