Shloka 10

Brahmacarya-Upāya: Jñāna, Śauca, and the Mind’s Role in Desire (शान्ति पर्व, अध्याय २०७)

Devanagari script

सर्वतेजोमयस्तस्मिन्‌ शयान: पुरुषोत्तम: । सोअग्रजं सर्वभूतानां संकर्षणमकल्पयत्‌

Transliteration

sarvatejomayas tasmin śayānaḥ puruṣottamaḥ | so 'grajaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ saṅkarṣaṇam akalpayat ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : Dans cet état tout rayonnant, la Personne suprême reposait étendue ; et d’elle-même elle fit surgir Saṅkarṣaṇa, l’aîné de tous les êtres, établissant le principe primordial selon lequel le cosmos procède du Divin en une succession ordonnée.

Word by Word

• सर्वतेजोमयः: consisting wholly of splendor
• सर्वतेजोमयः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-तेजस्-मय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्मिन्: in him/therein
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• शयानः: lying (reclining)
• शयानः: Karta
• Type: Participle (Adjective)
• Root: शी (धातु) → शय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुरुषोत्तमः: the Supreme Person
• पुरुषोत्तमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष-उत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अग्रजम्: the elder-born (elder brother)
• अग्रजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्रज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्वभूतानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-भूत
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• संकर्षणम्: Saṅkarṣaṇa (Balarāma)
• संकर्षणम्: Karma
• Type: Proper Noun
• Root: संकर्षण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अकल्पयत्: fashioned/ordained/created
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप् (कल्पयति)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Puruṣottama
• Saṅkarṣaṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents a theological-cosmological idea: the Supreme Person, inherently radiant and self-sufficient, intentionally brings forth an ordered principle/person (Saṅkarṣaṇa) as the ‘elder’ foundation for beings—implying that creation is not random but arises from divine will and structured precedence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is describing a cosmogonic moment: the Supreme Person is depicted as reposing in an all-luminous condition, and then he ‘ordains’ or ‘brings into being’ Saṅkarṣaṇa, identified as the primordial elder among beings.