Shloka 13

Śraddhā–Guṇa–Vibhāga Yoga (Faith and the Three Guṇas) — Mahābhārata Book 6, Chapter 39

Devanagari script

सर्वतःपाणिपादं तत्‌ सर्वतो$क्षिशिरोमुखम्‌ । सर्वतः:श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति,5 वह सब ओर हाथ-पैरवाला, सब ओर नेत्र, सिर और मुखवाला तथा सब ओर कानवाला है;* क्योंकि वह संसारमें सबको व्याप्त करके स्थित हैः

Transliteration

sarvataḥ-pāṇipādaṃ tat sarvato'kṣi-śiro-mukham | sarvataḥ-śrutimal loke sarvam āvṛtya tiṣṭhati ||

Translation

Arjuna said: That Being has hands and feet on every side; eyes, heads, and faces on every side; and ears everywhere. Enveloping all within the world, it stands pervading everything. In ethical and spiritual terms, Arjuna recognizes the Divine as not confined to a single form or faction: the same all-pervading Reality abides in all beings, calling for reverence, humility, and restraint amid the violence of war.

Word by Word

• सर्वतः: on all sides
• सर्वतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः
• Form: Avyaya (directional/locative sense: 'on all sides')

• पाणि: hands
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि
• Form: Masculine, nominative plural (in compound sense)

• पादम्: feet
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद
• Form: Masculine, accusative singular (as final member of bahuvrīhi)

• तत्: that (Being)
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, nominative singular

• सर्वतः: on all sides
• सर्वतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः
• Form: Avyaya

• अक्षि: eyes
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षि
• Form: Neuter, nominative/accusative plural (in compound sense)

• शिरः: head
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस्
• Form: Neuter, nominative/accusative singular (in compound sense)

• मुखम्: mouth/face
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख
• Form: Neuter, accusative singular (as final member of bahuvrīhi)

• सर्वतः: on all sides
• सर्वतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः
• Form: Avyaya

• श्रुतिमत्: having hearing/ears
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुतिमत्
• Form: Neuter, nominative singular (agreeing with तत्)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, locative singular

• सर्वम्: all (everything)
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, accusative singular

• आवृत्य: having covered/pervaded
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√वृ (वृणोति/वर्तते)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा-न्त), 'having covered/pervaded'

• तिष्ठति: stands/abides
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd person singular, parasmaipada

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• the all-pervading Divine (Viśvarūpa/Paramātman)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The Divine is omnipresent and all-encompassing—seeing, acting, and hearing everywhere. Recognizing this dissolves narrow self-interest and supports dharmic conduct grounded in humility and reverence toward all beings.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna is describing the overwhelming vision of the cosmic/universal form, perceiving a single Reality that pervades the entire world with innumerable limbs and senses, beyond any limited human shape.