Shloka 556

Devanagari script

बभूवान्तर्महीभूत: सर्वभूतगुणोदित: । नाद और स्वरसे विशिष्ट सामगानकी वह सर्वथा स्निग्ध एवं मधुर ध्वनि रसातलमें सब ओर फैल गयी, जो समस्त प्राणियोंके लिये गुणकारक थी

Transliteration

babhūvāntarmahībhūtaḥ sarvabhūtaguṇoditaḥ | nādaḥ svararase viśiṣṭaḥ sāmagānasya saḥ sarvathā snigdhaḥ madhuraś ca dhvaniḥ rasātale sarvato vyāptaḥ, yaḥ samasta-prāṇināṃ guṇakārakaḥ |

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: Terdengarlah suatu bunyi seakan-akan timbul dari dalam bumi sendiri, dikurniai sifat-sifat yang membawa manfaat kepada semua makhluk. Indah pada nada dan kemanisan lagu—seperti lantunan Sāman—ia seluruhnya lembut dan manis. Gema itu pun merebak ke segenap penjuru Rasātala, mengangkat dan memperhalus jiwa segala yang bernyawa.

Word by Word

• बभूव: became; came to be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अन्तर्महीभूतः: having become within the earth; turned into the inner earth
• अन्तर्महीभूतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तर्महीभूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सर्वभूतगुणोदितः: endowed with/manifesting the qualities of all beings
• सर्वभूतगुणोदितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वभूतगुणोदित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Mahī (earth)
• Rasātala
• Sāmagāna (Sāmaveda chant)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights the ethical and spiritual power of harmonious sound: a gentle, sweet, Veda-like resonance is portrayed as intrinsically guṇa-producing—cultivating refinement, calm, and uplift in all beings. In the Śānti context, it suggests that peace and virtue can be propagated not only by instruction but also by a pervasive atmosphere of sattvic harmony.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana describes a wondrous sound arising as if from within the earth, marked by the beauty of musical notes and the aesthetic ‘rasa’ of Sāman-chanting. This soothing resonance spreads throughout Rasātala (the nether regions), affecting all creatures beneficially.