Shloka 13

Devanagari script

पृथ्वीपते! जो परम महान्‌ तेज:स्वरूप है

Transliteration

pṛthvīpate! yo parama-mahān tejaḥ-svarūpaḥ, yo parama-mahān tapaḥ-svarūpaḥ, yo parama-mahān brahma, yaḥ sarvasya parama āśrayaḥ, yaḥ pāvana-tīrthādikeṣu parama-pavitraḥ, maṅgalānām api maṅgalam, devānām api devaḥ, tathā yo bhūta-prāṇinām avināśī pitā; kalpasya ādau yasmāt samasta-bhūtāni utpadyante, punaś ca yuga-kṣaye mahāpralaye yasmin te vilīyante; taṃ loka-pradhānaṃ saṃsāra-svāminaṃ bhagavantaṃ viṣṇoḥ sahasra-nāmāni mattaḥ śṛṇu, yāni pāpaṃ ca saṃsāra-bhayaṃ ca dūrīkurvanti. yāni nāmāni gauṇāni vikhyātāni mahātmanaḥ, ṛṣibhiḥ parigītāni, tāni vakṣyāmi bhūtaye.

Translation

Wahai penguasa bumi! Dengarkan dariku seribu nama Bhagavān Viṣṇu—yang utama di antara segala loka, Jagannātha, Penguasa jagat. Dialah mahatinggi sebagai wujud tejas, mahatinggi sebagai wujud tapas, Dialah Brahman Yang Agung; Dialah sandaran tertinggi bagi semua. Dialah yang paling suci di antara segala penyuci seperti tīrtha; Dialah keberkahan di antara segala yang membawa berkah; Dialah Tuhan bahkan bagi para dewa; dan Dialah Bapa yang tak binasa bagi semua makhluk. Dari-Nya, pada awal suatu kalpa, seluruh makhluk muncul; dan pada akhir suatu yuga, dalam mahāpralaya, mereka kembali lebur ke dalam-Nya. Nama-nama ini menyingkirkan dosa dan ketakutan akan saṃsāra. Kini akan kuucapkan nama-nama yang masyhur, bersifat gāuṇa (berdasarkan sifat), dari Yang Mahabersukma itu—yang dinyanyikan para ṛṣi di mana-mana—demi tercapainya tujuan hidup dan kesejahteraan.

Word by Word

• यानि: which (those) (names)
• यानि: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• नामानि: names
• नामानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• गौणानि: secondary/attributive (based on qualities)
• गौणानि: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गौण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• विख्यातानि: well-known
• विख्यातानि: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विख्यात
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled (Vishnu)
• महात्मनः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• ऋषिभिः: by sages
• ऋषिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• परिगीतानि: sung/recited (all around)
• परिगीतानि: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परिगीत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• तानि: those (names)
• तानि: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• वक्ष्यामि: I shall declare
• वक्ष्यामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), First, Singular

• भूतये: for welfare/prosperity
• भूतये: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूति
• Form: Feminine, Dative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Yudhiṣṭhira (implied by address pṛthvīpate)
• Bhagavān Viṣṇu
• Ṛṣis (seer-sages)
• Viṣṇu-sahasranāma (the thousand names)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma frames Vishnu as the ultimate refuge and cosmic source into whom all beings arise and dissolve; hearing/reciting His celebrated names—especially those grounded in His attributes—purifies sin and lessens existential fear, supporting both worldly aims and spiritual liberation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs King Yudhisthira and begins the formal preface to the Vishnu-sahasranama, announcing that he will recite the well-known names praised by the rishis and explaining their power to purify and protect from the fear of samsara.