Shloka 3

Adhyāya 70: Sātyaki’s Arrow-Display and the Bhūriśravas Engagement; Twilight Withdrawal

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेयश्व गोविन्दे कथयत्यद्भुतं महत्‌ । सर्वभूतानि भूतात्मा महात्मा पुरुषोत्तम:

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeyaś ca govinde kathayaty adbhutaṃ mahat | sarvabhūtāni bhūtātmā mahātmā puruṣottamaḥ ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ଏବଂ ମାର୍କଣ୍ଡେୟ ମୁନି ଗୋବିନ୍ଦଙ୍କ ବିଷୟରେ ଏକ ମହାନ୍ ଅଦ୍ଭୁତ ଆଖ୍ୟାନ କହନ୍ତି—ସେଇ ମହାତ୍ମା ପୁରୁଷୋତ୍ତମ ସମସ୍ତ ଭୂତର ଅନ୍ତରାତ୍ମା ହୋଇ ସମସ୍ତ ପ୍ରାଣୀକୁ ବ୍ୟାପି ଧାରଣ କରନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

मार्कण्डेयःMarkandeya (sage)

चand

गोविन्देin/with regard to Govinda (Krishna)

कथयतिtells, narrates

अद्भुतम्wonderful, marvelous

महत्great

सर्वभूतानिall beings

भूतात्माthe self/soul of beings

महात्माthe great-souled one

पुरुषोत्तमःthe सर्वोत्तम पुरुष, Supreme Person

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Mārkaṇḍeya

Govinda (Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu)

sarvabhūtāni (all beings)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse affirms Govinda (Kṛṣṇa) as Puruṣottama—the Supreme Person—who is also Bhūtātmā, the indwelling Self of all beings. Ethically, it frames dharma and right action as grounded in recognition of a single divine reality that sustains all life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma reports that the sage Mārkaṇḍeya narrates a profound, wondrous account concerning Govinda—presenting him as the great-souled cosmic Self who contains and supports all creatures, thereby elevating the discussion from battlefield events to divine cosmology and authority.