Anushasana Parva Adhyaya 164 Shloka 37 - Mahabharata | Lao | Vedapath

Vyasa

Shloka 37

Devanagari script

ज्योतिर्भूत: परमोडसौ पुरस्तात्‌ प्रकाशते यत्प्रभया विश्वरूप: । अप: सृष्टवा सर्वभूतात्मयोनि: पुराकरोत्‌ सर्वमेवाथ विश्वम्‌

Transliteration

jyotirbhūtaḥ paramo 'sau purastāt prakāśate yatprabhayā viśvarūpaḥ | apaḥ sṛṣṭvā sarvabhūtātmayoniḥ purākarot sarvamevātha viśvam ||

Translation

ພີສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ພຣະອົງແຫ່ງແສງສະຫວ່າງອັນສູງສຸດ ປາກົດຢູ່ທິດຕາເວັນອອກ ໂດຍຮັບຮູບສາກົນ (ວິສະວະຣູປ)؛ ດ້ວຍລັດສະຫມີຂອງພຣະອົງ ໂລກທັງປວງຖືກສ່ອງສະຫວ່າງ. ພຣະອົງແມ່ນຄັນທະກໍາເນີດ ແລະ ອາດຕະພາຍໃນຂອງສັດທັງຫມົດ. ໃນການບູຮານ ພຣະອົງໄດ້ສ້າງນ້ໍາກ່ອນ ແລ້ວຈຶ່ງສ້າງສັບພະຈັກກະວານທັງມວນ.

Word by Word

ज्योतिःlight, radiance

भूतःbecome; having become

परमःsupreme

असौthat (he)

पुरस्तात्in front; in the east/before

प्रकाशतेshines forth; appears

यत्by which

प्रभयाby (his) radiance

विश्वरूपःof universal form

अपःwaters

सृष्ट्वाhaving created

सर्वभूतात्मयोनिḥthe source/womb of the selves of all beings

पुराformerly; in ancient times

अकरोत्made; created

सर्वम्all; the whole

एवindeed; just

अथthen; thereafter

विश्वम्the universe; world

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Sūrya (Sun)

Āpaḥ (primordial waters)

Viśva/Viśvarūpa (the universe/universal form)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme, all-illuminating divine principle—the inner Self and source of all beings. Recognizing this cosmic origin supports dharma: reverence for life, humility, and devotion grounded in the unity of creation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is praising and theologizing Kṛṣṇa, describing him in cosmic terms: appearing like the sun in the east, illuminating the world, and being the primordial creator who first produced the waters and then the universe.