Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

शुभाशुभ॑ स्थावरं जड़मं॑ च विष्वक्सेनात्‌ सर्वमेतत्‌ प्रतीहि । यद्‌ वर्तते यच्च भविष्यतीह सर्व होतत्‌ केशवं त्वं प्रतीहि

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | śubhāśubhaṃ sthāvaraṃ jaḍaṃ ca viśvaksenāt sarvam etat pratīhi | yad vartate yac ca bhaviṣyatīha sarvaṃ hotat keśavaṃ tvaṃ pratīhi ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : Sache avec certitude que ce monde tout entier—le favorable et le funeste, le mobile et l’immobile, jusqu’à ce qui paraît inerte—est né de Keśava, Seigneur de toutes les légions. Ce qui existe à présent et ce qui existera ici dans l’avenir, comprends-le : tout cela n’est autre que Keśava lui-même.

Word by Word

• {'śubhāśubham': 'the auspicious and the inauspicious

• good and evil', 'sthāvaram': 'immovable beings

• stationary creation (plants, mountains, etc.)', 'jaḍam': 'inert, insentient

• lacking apparent consciousness', 'sarvam etat': 'all this

• the entirety of what is perceived', 'pratīhi': 'know, understand, be convinced', 'viśvaksenāt': 'from Viśvaksena

• from the Lord of all hosts (epithet of Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)', 'yad vartate': 'whatever exists/occurs (in the present)', 'yac ca bhaviṣyati': 'and whatever will be (in the future)', 'iha': 'here

• in this world', 'sarvam': 'all, everything', 'keśavam': 'Keśava

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Keśava (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Viśvaksena

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches a comprehensive theistic vision: the whole cosmos—auspicious and inauspicious, sentient and seemingly inert—arises from and is pervaded by Keśava. Past, present, and future are to be understood as grounded in him, encouraging devotion along with moral discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues his counsel, directing the listener to place firm faith in Kṛṣṇa’s cosmic sovereignty and to interpret all phenomena and time itself as encompassed by Keśava.