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Shloka 6

धर्मस्य बहुद्वारत्वम् — Nārada’s Audience with Indra (Śānti-parva 340)

एतान्‌ बहुविधान्‌ वर्णान्‌ रूपैर्बिभ्रत्सनातन: । सहस्ननयन: श्रीमान्‌ शतशीर्ष: सहस्रपात्‌

etān bahuvidhān varṇān rūpair bibhrat sanātanaḥ | sahasranayanaḥ śrīmān śataśīrṣaḥ sahasrapāt |

Bhīṣma berkata: “Yang Kekal itu menyandang pelbagai rupa dan penampakan, memperlihatkan aneka warna dan bentuk. Gemilang dengan kebesaran, Dia digambarkan mempunyai seribu mata, seratus kepala, dan seribu kaki.”

एतान्these
एतान्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootएतद्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
बहुविधान्of many kinds, various
बहुविधान्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootबहुविध
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
वर्णान्colors/complexions
वर्णान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootवर्ण
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
रूपैःwith forms
रूपैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootरूप
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Plural
बिभ्रत्bearing, wearing
बिभ्रत्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootधृ
Formशतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular
सनातनःeternal
सनातनः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसनातन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सहस्रनयनःhaving a thousand eyes
सहस्रनयनः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसहस्र-नयन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
श्रीमान्splendid, glorious
श्रीमान्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootश्रीमन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
शतशीर्षःhaving a hundred heads
शतशीर्षः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootशत-शीर्ष
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सहस्रपात्having a thousand feet
सहस्रपात्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसहस्र-पद
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
S
Sanātana (the Eternal Being, i.e., the Supreme/Viṣṇu-like cosmic Person)

Educational Q&A

The verse teaches that the Supreme is not confined to one limited shape; He manifests innumerable forms, and the hyperbolic epithets (thousand-eyed, hundred-headed, thousand-footed) convey omnipresence, sovereignty, and immeasurable power.

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and higher truths. Here he describes the Eternal Lord’s manifold manifestations, using traditional cosmic epithets to emphasize the Lord’s all-pervading nature.