Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

स्रष्टार: सर्वभूतानां कीर्तिता लोकपावना: । संवर्तो मेरुसावर्णो मार्कण्डेयश्व धार्मिक:

Transliteration

sraṣṭāraḥ sarvabhūtānāṁ kīrtitā lokapāvanāḥ | saṁvarto merusāvarṇo mārkaṇḍeyaś ca dhārmikaḥ ||

Translation

ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ພວກທ່ານຖືກສັນລະເສີນວ່າເປັນຜູ້ສ້າງສັດທັງປວງ ແລະເປັນຜູ້ຊໍາລະລ້າງໂລກ—ສຳວັດຕະ (Saṁvarta), ເມຣຸສາວັນນິ (Merusāvarṇi), ແລະລະສີຜູ້ຊອບທໍາ ມາຣະກັນເດຍ (Mārkaṇḍeya)».

Word by Word

• स्रष्टारः: creators
• स्रष्टारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रष्टृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्वभूतानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वभूत
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• कीर्तिताः: are proclaimed/celebrated
• कीर्तिताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Past passive participle (क्त)

• लोकपावनाः: purifiers of the world
• लोकपावनाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोकपावन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• संवर्तः: Samvarta (name of a sage)
• संवर्तः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवर्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मेरुसावर्णः: Merusavarṇa (name of a sage)
• मेरुसावर्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरुसावर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya (name of a sage)
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• धार्मिकः: righteous
• धार्मिकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धार्मिक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Saṁvarta
• Merusāvarṇi
• Mārkaṇḍeya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse elevates certain sages as ‘world-purifiers’ and ‘creators of beings,’ implying that spiritual discipline, righteousness, and realized wisdom are forces that sustain and cleanse society and the cosmos—an ethical model where dharma is upheld through tapas and exemplary conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhishma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he begins (or continues) a list praising eminent ṛṣis, naming Saṁvarta, Merusāvarṇi, and Mārkaṇḍeya as renowned, righteous figures whose sanctity is said to purify the worlds.