Shloka 21

Sanatsujāta-Āhvāna (Summoning Sanatsujāta) — Vidura’s Invocation and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Doubt

Devanagari script

य एतद्‌ वा भगवान्‌ स नित्यो विकारयोगेन करोति विश्वम्‌ । तथा च तच्छक्तिरिति सम मन्यते तथार्थयोगे च भवन्ति वेदा:,जो नित्यस्वरूप भगवान्‌ हैं, वे ही परब्रह्म मायाके सहयोगसे इस विश्वत्रह्माण्डकी सृष्टि करते हैं। वह माया उन्हीं परब्रह्मकी शक्ति है। महात्मा पुरुष इसे मानते हैं। इस प्रकारके अर्थके प्रतिपादनमें वेद भी प्रमाण हैं

Transliteration

ya etad vā bhagavān sa nityo vikārayogena karoti viśvam | tathā ca tacchaktir iti sa manyate tathārthayoge ca bhavanti vedāḥ ||

Translation

सनत्सुजात म्हणाले—जो नित्यस्वरूप भगवान आहेत, तेच विकारशक्ती (माया) यांच्या संयोगाने हे संपूर्ण विश्व निर्माण करतात. ती शक्ती त्यांचीच ‘शक्ती’ आहे असे महात्मे मानतात; आणि हाच अर्थ सिद्ध करण्यास वेदही प्रमाण आहेत.

Word by Word

• {'yaḥ': 'who', 'etat': 'this (universe/manifestation, as being discussed)', 'vā': 'indeed / or (emphatic particle in context)', 'bhagavān': 'the Blessed Lord

• the supreme divine person', 'saḥ': 'he

• that one', 'nityaḥ': 'eternal

• ever-existing', 'vikāra': 'change

• modification', 'yogena': 'by connection/association

• through the means of', 'karoti': 'makes

• brings about', 'viśvam': 'the whole universe

• all that exists', 'tathā': 'thus

• in that manner', 'ca': 'and', 'tat-śaktiḥ': 'that power

• His power (śakti)', 'iti': 'thus

• as (so) stated', 'manyate': 'is considered

• is held to be true', 'tathā-artha': 'that very meaning

• such a purport', 'yoge': 'in the application/establishment

• in the interpretive linkage', 'bhavanti': 'are

• are found to be', 'vedāḥ': 'the Vedas

Speaker

सनत्युजात उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanatsujāta
• Bhagavān (the Eternal Lord)
• Śakti/Māyā
• Vedas
• Mahātma/wise persons (implicit)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the eternal Supreme Lord is the true cause of the universe’s manifestation, bringing it forth through His own power (śakti), often understood as māyā; and that this view is affirmed by the Vedas as a valid authority.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Sanatsujātīya section of Udyoga Parva, Sanatsujāta instructs Dhṛtarāṣṭra on ultimate reality and liberation-oriented wisdom; here he explains the relation between the eternal Lord, His creative power, and the Vedic basis for this understanding.