Shloka 50

Devanagari script

अशोकस्तारणस्तार: शूर: शौरिजनिेश्वर: । अनुकूल: शतावर्त: पद्मी पद्मनिभेक्षण:

Transliteration

aśokas tāraṇas tāraḥ śūraḥ śaurir janeśvaraḥ | anukūlaḥ śatāvartaḥ padmī padmanibhekṣaṇaḥ ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ସେ ଅଶୋକ, ସମସ୍ତ ଶୋକରହିତ; ତାରଣ, ଯେ ସଂସାରସାଗରରୁ ପାର କରାନ୍ତି; ତାର, ଯେ ଜନ୍ମ-ଜରା-ମୃତ୍ୟୁର ଭୟରୁ ଉଦ୍ଧାର କରନ୍ତି। ସେ ଶୂର; ଶୌରି (ବସୁଦେବନନ୍ଦନ); ଜନେଶ୍ୱର, ସମସ୍ତ ଜୀବଙ୍କ ଅଧିପତି। ସେ ଅନୁକୂଳ, ଅନ୍ତର୍ୟାମୀ ଆତ୍ମା ହେବାରୁ ସବୁଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ହିତକର; ଶତାବର୍ତ, ଧର୍ମରକ୍ଷା ପାଇଁ ଶତଶଃ ଅବତାର ଧାରଣ କରନ୍ତି; ପଦ୍ମୀ, ପଦ୍ମଧାରୀ; ପଦ୍ମନିଭେକ୍ଷଣ, ପଦ୍ମସମ କୋମଳ ଦୃଷ୍ଟିଯୁକ୍ତ।

Word by Word

• अशोकः: the sorrowless one
• अशोकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशोक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तारणः: the deliverer (who ferries across)
• तारणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तारः: the savior / rescuer
• तारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शूरः: the hero, valiant one
• शूरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शौरिजनिईश्वरः: lord of beings (born in the Śauri line)
• शौरिजनिईश्वरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौरि-जन-ईश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अनुकूलः: favorable, benevolent
• अनुकूलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुकूल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शतावर्तः: the hundred-fold (many-cycled/oft-returning) one
• शतावर्तः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत-आवर्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पद्मी: lotus-bearing; lotus-possessing
• पद्मी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पद्मिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पद्मनिभेक्षणः: he whose gaze/eyes are like a lotus
• पद्मनिभेक्षणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पद्म-निभ-ईक्षण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Kṛṣṇa (as Śauri/Janeśvara)
• lotus (padma)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse praises the Supreme Lord through epithets that emphasize ethical and spiritual assurance: the divine is sorrowless and removes sorrow, rescues beings from the cycle of birth-aging-death, remains benevolent to all as the inner Self, and repeatedly manifests to protect dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira and extols the Lord by reciting a sequence of divine names/attributes. This verse is part of that litany, identifying the deity (commonly understood as Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa) as protector, savior, and compassionate ruler.