Shloka 124

Devanagari script

आदित्या वसवो रुद्रा जनार्दनमुपासते । शालग्राम इति ख्यातो विष्णुरद्भुतकर्मक:

Transliteration

ādityā vasavo rudrā janārdanam upāsate | śālagrāma iti khyāto viṣṇur adbhuta-karmakaḥ ||

Translation

आदित्य, वसु और रुद्र जनार्दन की उपासना करते हैं। अद्भुतकर्मा भगवान् विष्णु यहाँ ‘शालग्राम’ नाम से प्रसिद्ध हैं।

Word by Word

आदित्याःthe Adityas

वसवःthe Vasus

रुद्राःthe Rudras

जनार्दनम्Janardana (Vishnu)

उपासतेworship/serve

शालग्रामःShalagrama

इतिthus; as

ख्यातःis known/called

विष्णुःVishnu

अद्भुतकर्मकःwhose deeds are wondrous

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Ādityas

Vasus

Rudras

Janārdana (Viṣṇu)

Śālagrāma

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?

Even the highest classes of gods revere Janārdana/Viṣṇu, and His presence can be approached through a sanctified form (Śālagrāma). The verse underscores devotion (upāsanā) and the legitimacy of worship through a revered emblem that represents divine power and protection.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker named Ghūlastya identifies Viṣṇu as ‘Śālagrāma’ and states that major divine groups (Ādityas, Vasus, Rudras) worship Him, situating Śālagrāma as a celebrated, worship-worthy manifestation within the broader Vana Parva pilgrimage/holy-site discourse.