Shloka 18

Adhyāya 70: Sātyaki’s Arrow-Display and the Bhūriśravas Engagement; Twilight Withdrawal

Devanagari script

परं हि पुण्डरीकाक्षान्न भूतं न भविष्यति । मुखत: सो5सृजद्‌ विप्रान्‌ बाहुभ्यां क्षत्रियांस्तथा

Transliteration

paraṁ hi puṇḍarīkākṣān na bhūtaṁ na bhaviṣyati | mukhataḥ so 'sṛjad viprān bāhubhyāṁ kṣatriyāṁs tathā ||

Translation

Bhishma berkata: “Sesungguhnya, tiada yang pernah ada, dan tiada pula yang akan ada, yang melampaui Puṇḍarīkākṣa. Dari mulut-Nya Ia melahirkan para brāhmaṇa, dan dari lengan-Nya Ia menurunkan para kṣatriya.”

Word by Word

• परम्: beyond; further; exceedingly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर

• हि: indeed; for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• पुण्डरीकाक्षात्: from the lotus-eyed one (Vishnu/Krishna)
• पुण्डरीकाक्षात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्डरीकाक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• भूतम्: has been; (anything) that existed
• भूतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• न: nor; not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• भविष्यति: will be; will exist
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), Third, Singular

• मुखतः: from the mouth
• मुखतः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

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

• असृजत्: created; emitted
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Singular

• विप्रान्: brahmins
• विप्रान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• बाहुभ्याम्: with/from (his) two arms
• बाहुभ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Dual

• क्षत्रियान्: kshatriyas
• क्षत्रियान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तथा: thus; likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Puṇḍarīkākṣa (Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa)
• Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)
• Kṣatriyas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts the unsurpassed supremacy of Puṇḍarīkākṣa (Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa) and links social order to a sacred origin: brāhmaṇas arise from the mouth (speech, learning, ritual authority) and kṣatriyas from the arms (strength, protection, governance), grounding dharma in a cosmic hierarchy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is speaking and praising Puṇḍarīkākṣa as incomparable across time. He then describes a creation motif in which the Lord brings forth the brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya orders from different parts of his body, emphasizing their distinct functions and divine sanction.