Shloka 7
धर्मस्य बहुद्वारत्वम् — Nārada’s Audience with Indra (Śānti-parva 340)
ओड्कारमुद्गिरन् वकत्रात् सावित्रीं तदन््वयाम्
oṃkāram udgiran vaktrāt sāvitrīṃ tad-anvayām, sarva-ko vaśaṃ meṃ rakhane-vāle te bhagavān nārāyaṇa hari eka mukhena tu oṃkāraṃ tathā tena sambandhaṃ rakhane-vālīṃ gāyatrīṃ japaṃ kurvanti sma, anyaiḥ mukhaiś ca caturo vedān teṣāṃ cāraṇyaka-bhāgaṃ ca gāyantaḥ sma
Bhīṣma dit : «D’une de Ses bouches, le bienheureux Seigneur Nārāyaṇa Hari—qui tient tous les êtres sous Son gouvernement—fit retentir la syllabe sacrée Om et récita la Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī) qui s’y rattache ; et de Ses autres bouches, simultanément, Il chanta les quatre Veda avec leurs parties Āraṇyaka.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse portrays Narayana as the fountainhead of Vedic wisdom: Om and the Savitri/Gayatri are not merely human compositions but expressions of the divine order. Ethical life (dharma) is supported by disciplined recitation, reverence for revelation, and alignment with the cosmic principle embodied by the Lord.
Bhishma describes a vision-like depiction of Narayana Hari with multiple mouths: one mouth utters Om and recites the Savitri/Gayatri, while the other mouths chant the four Vedas and their Aranyaka sections, emphasizing the Lord’s comprehensive mastery and the unity of Vedic tradition.