Shloka 39

Puruṣottama-yoga

The Discipline of the Supreme Person) — Chapter 15 (Bhagavadgītā

Devanagari script

वायुर्यमो डग्निर्वरुण: शशाड्कः: प्रजापतिस्त्वं प्रपितामहश्न । नमो नमस्ते<स्तु सहस्रकृत्व:* पुनश्चन भूयो5पि नमो नमस्ते,आप वायु, यमराज, अग्नि, वरुण, चन्द्रमा, प्रजाके स्वामी ब्रह्मा और ब्रह्माके भी पिता हैं। आपके लिये हजारों बार नमस्कार! नमस्कार हो!! आपके लिये फिर भी बार-बार नमस्कार! नमस्कार!!!

Transliteration

vāyur yamo 'gnir varuṇaḥ śaśāṅkaḥ prajāpatis tvaṁ prapitāmahaś ca | namo namas te 'stu sahasrakṛtvaḥ punaś ca bhūyo 'pi namo namas te ||

Translation

“ພຣະອົງແມ່ນວາຍຸ, ຍະມະ, ອັກນິ, ວະຣຸນະ, ແລະຈັນທຣາ. ພຣະອົງແມ່ນປຣະຊາປະຕິ, ພຣະພຣະຫມາ, ແລະເປັນບິດາຂອງພຣະພຣະຫມາອີກດ້ວຍ. ນະມັດສະການແດ່ພຣະອົງນັບພັນຄັ້ງ! ນະມັດສະການ! ນະມັດສະການ! ແລະຂໍນະມັດສະການອີກ ຊໍ້າແລ້ວຊໍ້າອີກ—ນະມັດສະການ! ນະມັດສະການ!”

Word by Word

वायुःWind-god (Vāyu)

यमःYama (lord of death)

अग्निःAgni (fire-god)

वरुणःVaruṇa

शशाङ्कःMoon (lit. hare-marked)

प्रजापतिःPrajāpati (lord of creatures)

त्वम्you

प्रपितामहःgreat-grandfather / primeval ancestor

नमःsalutation

तेto you

अस्तुlet it be / may it be

सहस्रकृत्वःa thousand times

पुनःagain

चand

भूयःonce more / further

अपिalso / even

नमःsalutation

तेto you

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Vāyu

Yama

Agni

Varuṇa

Śaśāṅka (Moon)

Prajāpati

Prapitāmaha (Great-grandsire; theological epithet)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

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 the Supreme Lord is the inner reality behind all cosmic functions—life-breath, death, fire, waters, and celestial order—so the proper ethical stance is humility and reverent surrender. Recognizing this unity grounds dharma: human action in war or peace must be aligned with the higher order rather than ego or fear.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the vision of the universal form (viśvarūpa), Arjuna is awestruck and begins a hymn of praise. He identifies the Lord with major Vedic deities and cosmic principles and offers repeated salutations, expressing reverence and seeking alignment with the divine reality revealed before him.