Shloka 54

Devanagari script

उद्धव: क्षोभणो देव: श्रीगर्भ: परमेश्वर: । करणं कारणं कर्ता विकर्ता गहनो गृह:

Transliteration

uddhavaḥ kṣobhaṇo devaḥ śrīgarbhaḥ parameśvaraḥ | karaṇaṃ kāraṇaṃ kartā vikartā gahano guhaḥ ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ସେ ‘ଉଦ୍ଧବ’, ‘କ୍ଷୋଭଣ’, ‘ଦେବ’, ‘ଶ୍ରୀଗର୍ଭ’ ଓ ‘ପରମେଶ୍ୱର’ ବୋଲି ପରିଚିତ। ସେଇ କରଣ ଓ କାରଣ; ସେଇ କର୍ତ୍ତା ଓ ନାନା ଲୋକର ବିକର୍ତ୍ତା; ସେ ଗହନ, ସେ ଗୁହ୍ୟ—ମାୟାଦ୍ୱାରା ନିଜ ସ୍ୱରୂପକୁ ଆବୃତ କରନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• उद्धवः: Uddhava
• उद्धवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्धव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षोभणः: the agitator, the one who stirs
• क्षोभणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षोभण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• देवः: god; the shining one
• देवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रीगर्भः: he whose womb/inner being contains prosperity (Śrī)
• श्रीगर्भः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीगर्भ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परमेश्वरः: the supreme lord
• परमेश्वरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• करणम्: instrument; means
• करणम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: करण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• कारणम्: cause; reason
• कारणम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• कर्ता: doer; creator
• कर्ता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विकर्ता: fashioner; maker in diverse ways
• विकर्ता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विकर्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गहनः: deep; inscrutable
• गहनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गहन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गुहः: the hidden one; concealer
• गुहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Īśvara/Parameśvara (the Supreme Lord)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches the Lord’s all-encompassing causality and sovereignty: He is both the means and the cause of creation, the creator and arranger of diverse worlds, yet remains ultimately inscrutable and self-concealed through māyā—prompting humility and devotion aligned with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is delivering a praise-list (stuti) of divine names/attributes, explaining how the Supreme Lord relates to cosmic origination and why He is difficult to comprehend, thereby instructing the listener in reverent understanding of the divine.