Shloka 11

Śānti Parva Adhyāya 43 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Stuti of Kṛṣṇa

Assembly Hymn of Many Names

Devanagari script

सम्राड्‌ विराट्‌ स्वराट्‌ चैव सुरराजो भवोद्धव: । विभुर्भूरतिभू: कृष्ण: कृष्णवर्त्मा त्वमेव च

Transliteration

samrāḍ virāṭ svarāṭ caiva surarājo bhavoddhavaḥ | vibhur bhūr atibhūḥ kṛṣṇaḥ kṛṣṇavartmā tvam eva ca ||

Translation

ವೈಶಂಪಾಯನನು ಹೇಳಿದನು— ನೀನೇ ಸಮ್ರಾಟ್, ವಿರಾಟ್, ಸ್ವರಾಟ್; ನೀನೇ ದೇವರಾಜ ಇಂದ್ರ. ಈ ವಿಶ್ವವು ನಿನ್ನಿಂದಲೇ ಉದ್ಭವಿಸಿ ನಿನ್ನಲ್ಲೇ ಸ್ಥಿತವಾಗಿದೆ. ನೀನೇ ಸರ್ವವ್ಯಾಪಿ ಪ್ರಭು, ನಿತ್ಯ ಸತ್ತೆಯ ಆಧಾರ, ರೂಪಾತೀತ ಪರಮೇಶ್ವರ. ನೀನೇ ಕೃಷ್ಣ—ಎಲ್ಲರನ್ನು ತನ್ನತ್ತ ಆಕರ್ಷಿಸುವವನು—ಮತ್ತು ಕೃಷ್ಣವರ್ಥ್ಮ—ಅಗ್ನಿಮಯ ತೇಜಸ್ವಿ ಪಥ—ಸಹ; ನಿಜವಾಗಿ ಇವೆಲ್ಲವೂ ನೀನೇ.

Word by Word

• सम्राट्: universal monarch
• सम्राट्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्राज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विराट्: the Vast/Universal (Virāṭ)
• विराट्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विराज्/विराट् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वराट्: self-ruler, independent sovereign
• स्वराट्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वराज्/स्वराट् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• सुरराजः: king of the gods (Indra)
• सुरराजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भवोद्भवः: source/origin of existence (of the world)
• भवोद्भवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवोद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विभुः: all-pervading, mighty
• विभुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भूः: earth; being/existence
• भूः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अतिभूः: transcending being; exceedingly existent
• अतिभूः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिभू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृष्णवर्त्मा: one whose path/track is dark (epithet; also used of fire/smoke-trailing fire)
• कृष्णवर्त्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णवर्त्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Indra
• Kṛṣṇa
• Agni (implied by kṛṣṇavartmā)
• Virāṭ (cosmic form/epithet)
• Svarāṭ (epithet)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches the unity of divine reality: the one Supreme is praised as simultaneously cosmic (Virāṭ), self-sovereign (Svarāṭ), ruler of the gods (Indra), the source of the universe, and the formless, all-pervading ground of being—implying that many divine names and functions ultimately refer to one reality.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s reflective setting, Vaiśampāyana reports a hymn-like praise in which the addressed deity is exalted through a chain of epithets, identifying him with major cosmic and Vedic powers (Indra, Agni) and with Kṛṣṇa, to emphasize supreme lordship and the origin of the world.