Shloka 10

Brahmacarya-Upāya: Jñāna, Śauca, and the Mind’s Role in Desire (शान्ति पर्व, अध्याय २०७)

Devanagari script

सर्वतेजोमयस्तस्मिन्‌ शयान: पुरुषोत्तम: । सोअग्रजं सर्वभूतानां संकर्षणमकल्पयत्‌

Transliteration

sarvatejomayas tasmin śayānaḥ puruṣottamaḥ | so 'grajaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ saṅkarṣaṇam akalpayat ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。その一切が光輝に満ちた境地において、至上のプルシャは安らかに横たわっていた。そして自らより、万有の長兄たるサンカルシャナ（Saṅkarṣaṇa）を顕現させ、宇宙が神性より秩序ある継起によって展開するという原初の理を打ち立てた。

Word by Word

• सर्वतेजोमयः: consisting wholly of splendor
• सर्वतेजोमयः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-तेजस्-मय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्मिन्: in him/therein
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• शयानः: lying (reclining)
• शयानः: Karta
• Type: Participle (Adjective)
• Root: शी (धातु) → शय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुरुषोत्तमः: the Supreme Person
• पुरुषोत्तमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष-उत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• अग्रजम्: the elder-born (elder brother)
• अग्रजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्रज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्वभूतानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-भूत
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• संकर्षणम्: Saṅkarṣaṇa (Balarāma)
• संकर्षणम्: Karma
• Type: Proper Noun
• Root: संकर्षण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अकल्पयत्: fashioned/ordained/created
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप् (कल्पयति)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Puruṣottama
• Saṅkarṣaṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents a theological-cosmological idea: the Supreme Person, inherently radiant and self-sufficient, intentionally brings forth an ordered principle/person (Saṅkarṣaṇa) as the ‘elder’ foundation for beings—implying that creation is not random but arises from divine will and structured precedence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is describing a cosmogonic moment: the Supreme Person is depicted as reposing in an all-luminous condition, and then he ‘ordains’ or ‘brings into being’ Saṅkarṣaṇa, identified as the primordial elder among beings.