Anushasana Parva Adhyaya 155 Shloka 38 - Mahabharata | Marathi | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 38

Devanagari script

आवर्तनो निवृत्तात्मा संवृत: सम्प्रमर्दन: । अहःसंवर्तको वल्लिरनिलो धरणीधर:

Transliteration

āvartano nivṛttātmā saṁvṛtaḥ sampramardanaḥ | ahaḥsaṁvartako vahnir anilo dharaṇīdharaḥ ||

Translation

भीष्म म्हणाले—तो आवर्तन आहे, जो संसारचक्र प्रवर्तित करतो; आणि निवृत्तात्मा आहे, जो स्वतः बंधनापासून नित्य मुक्त आहे। तो संवृत आहे, आपल्या योगमायेनं आच्छादित; आणि सम्प्रमर्दन आहे, जो रुद्रादी उग्र रूपांनी सर्वांचे मर्दन करतो। तो अहःसंवर्तक आहे, सूर्यरूपाने दिवस प्रवर्तित करणारा; वह्नि आहे, जो हवि वहन करतो; अनिल आहे, जो प्राणरूप वायू आहे; आणि धरणीधर आहे, जो वराह व शेषरूपाने पृथ्वी धारण करतो।

Word by Word

आवर्तनःthe turner/causer of cyclic revolution (of saṃsāra)

निवृत्तात्माone whose self is withdrawn; ever free from bondage

संवृतःcovered/veiled (concealed)

सम्प्रमर्दनःthe thorough crusher/destroyer

अहःसंवर्तकःthe maker/producer of day (as the sun)

वल्लिःcreeper/vine (epithet; lit. a creeper)

अनिलःwind; vital air

धरणीधरःsupporter of the earth (earth-bearer)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Sūrya (Sun)

Agni (Fire)

Vāyu/Anila (Wind)

Varāha

Śeṣa

Rudra (implied by 'sampramardanaḥ' gloss)

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 the Supreme Lord is one, yet manifests as many cosmic functions—sun, fire, wind, and world-support—while remaining inwardly free and untouched by bondage. Ethically, it urges reverence and alignment with dharma by recognizing a single divine order behind diverse powers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is praising the Lord through a chain of epithets, describing how the same divine reality operates the cosmos (time/day, sacrifice, breath, and the earth’s support) while remaining transcendent and veiled by yogic power.