Shloka 48

Devanagari script

अच्युत: प्रथित: प्राण: प्राणदो वासवानुज: । अपां निधिरधिष्ठानमप्रमत्त: प्रतिष्ठित:

Transliteration

acyutaḥ prathitaḥ prāṇaḥ prāṇado vāsavānujaḥ | apāṁ nidhir adhiṣṭhānam apramattaḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ— ସେ ଅଚ୍ୟୁତ—ଅବିଚଳ, ବିକାରରହିତ; ସେ ପ୍ରଥିତ—ଜଗତର ଉତ୍ପତ୍ତି ଓ ବ୍ୟବସ୍ଥାର କାରଣ ହେବାରୁ ବିଖ୍ୟାତ; ସେ ପ୍ରାଣ—ଜୀବମାନଙ୍କୁ ଧାରଣ କରୁଥିବା ଜୀବତତ୍ତ୍ୱ; ସେ ପ୍ରାଣଦ—ସମସ୍ତଙ୍କୁ ପୋଷଣ କରୁଥିବା। ସେ ବାସବାନୁଜ—ବାମନାବତାରରେ ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରଙ୍କ ଅନୁଜ; ସେ ଅପାଂ ନିଧି—ଜଳର ନିଧି, ସମୁଦ୍ରସ୍ୱରୂପ; ସେ ଅଧିଷ୍ଠାନ—ସମସ୍ତ ଭୂତଙ୍କ ଆଧାର; ସେ ଅପ୍ରମତ୍ତ—ସଦା ସଚେତନ; ଏବଂ ସେ ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠିତ—ନିଜ ମହିମାରେ ସ୍ଥିତ।

Word by Word

• अच्युतः: Acyuta; the unfailing/unchanging one
• अच्युतः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अच्युत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रथितः: renowned, widely celebrated
• प्रथितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्राणः: life-breath; vital principle
• प्राणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्राणदः: giver of life (lit. giver of prāṇa)
• प्राणदः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राणद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वासवानुजः: younger brother of Vāsava (Indra)
• वासवानुजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासवानुज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपाम्: of waters
• अपाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• निधिः: treasure; repository
• निधिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अधिष्ठानम्: support; basis; substratum
• अधिष्ठानम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिष्ठान
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अप्रमत्तः: unheedless of no duty; ever vigilant
• अप्रमत्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप्रमत्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रतिष्ठितः: firmly established; abiding (in his own glory)
• प्रतिष्ठितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिष्ठित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Acyuta (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
• Vāsava (Indra)
• Vāmana (incarnation reference)
• Ocean/Sea (as Apāṁ Nidhi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches contemplative devotion through divine names: the Supreme is portrayed as changeless, life-sustaining, the cosmic foundation, and ever-vigilant. Remembering these epithets frames dharma as grounded in a stable, sustaining divine order rather than in human fluctuation or negligence.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and devotion. Here he continues a litany of Viṣṇu’s names (a section associated with the Viṣṇu-sahasranāma tradition), explaining the Lord’s attributes through epithets that connect theology with cosmic functions (life, support, vigilance).