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Shloka 28

लोकाध्यक्ष: सुराध्यक्षो धर्माध्यक्ष: कृताकृत: । चतुरात्मा चतुर्व्यूहश्चतुर्दष्ट श्चतुर्भुज:

lokādhyakṣaḥ surādhyakṣo dharmādhyakṣaḥ kṛtākṛtaḥ | caturātmā caturvyūhaś caturdaṃṣṭraś caturbhujaḥ ||

Bhīṣma berkata: Ia adalah penguasa yang mengawasi semua dunia, pemimpin para dewa, dan hakim tertinggi dharma—yang menganugerahkan hasil yang setimpal atas apa yang dilakukan maupun yang ditinggalkan. Ia Kṛtākṛta—tampak sebagai yang “terwujud” dalam karya, namun “tak-terbuat” sebagai sebab. Ia berhakikat empat, menampakkan empat vyūha, hadir sebagai pelindung bertaring empat, dan sebagai Tuhan berempat lengan yang bersemayam di Vaikuṇṭha.

लोकाध्यक्षःlord/overseer of the worlds
लोकाध्यक्षः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootलोकाध्यक्ष
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सुराध्यक्षःchief/overseer of the gods
सुराध्यक्षः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसुराध्यक्ष
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
धर्माध्यक्षःoverseer/judge of dharma
धर्माध्यक्षः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधर्माध्यक्ष
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
कृताकृतःthe done and the not-done; effected and uneffected
कृताकृतः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootकृताकृत
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
चतुरात्माone whose nature/forms are fourfold
चतुरात्मा:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootचतुरात्मन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
चतुर्व्यूहःone having four emanations/arrays (vyūhas)
चतुर्व्यूहः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootचतुर्व्यूह
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
चतुर्दंष्ट्रःfour-tusked
चतुर्दंष्ट्रः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootचतुर्दंष्ट्र
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
चतुर्भुजःfour-armed
चतुर्भुजः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootचतुर्भुज
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
V
Viṣṇu
V
Vaikuṇṭha
B
Brahmā
M
Maheśa (Śiva)
B
Brahman (nirākāra)
N
Narasiṃha

Educational Q&A

The verse presents the Lord as the cosmic administrator of dharma: the one who oversees worlds and gods and who ensures that actions (and even failures to act) yield appropriate consequences. Ethical order is not accidental; it is upheld by a supreme moral governance.

Bhishma is reciting a praise-description of Viṣṇu, listing divine epithets and forms. The focus is on Viṣṇu’s universal lordship and protective manifestations, situating him as the ultimate authority behind dharma and cosmic stability.