Shloka 19

धर्मद्वारबहुत्वविमर्शः — Reflection on the Many ‘Doors’ of Dharma (Śānti-parva 342)

Devanagari script

एतौ द्वौ विबुधश्रेष्ठी प्रसादक्रो धजावुभौ । तदादेशितपन्थानौ सृष्टिसंहारकारकौ

Transliteration

etau dvau vibudhaśreṣṭhī prasāda-krodha-jāv ubhau | tad-ādeśita-panthānau sṛṣṭi-saṃhāra-kārakau ||

Translation

ଏହି ଦୁଇ ଦେବଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ—ବ୍ରହ୍ମା ଓ ରୁଦ୍ର—ତାଙ୍କର ପ୍ରସାଦ ଓ କ୍ରୋଧରୁ ପ୍ରକଟ; ତାଙ୍କ ଆଦେଶିତ ପଥ ଅନୁସରି ସୃଷ୍ଟି ଓ ସଂହାର କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ କରନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• एतौ: these two
• एतौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• द्वौ: two
• द्वौ: Karta
• Type: Numeral/Adjective
• Root: द्वि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• विबुधश्रेष्ठौ: best among the gods
• विबुधश्रेष्ठौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विबुधश्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• प्रसादक्रोधजौ: born of (his) grace and wrath
• प्रसादक्रोधजौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसादक्रोधज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: उभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• तदादेशितपन्थानौ: following the path instructed by him
• तदादेशितपन्थानौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तदादेशितपन्थन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• सृष्टिसंहारकारकौ: agents of creation and destruction
• सृष्टिसंहारकारकौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सृष्टिसंहारकारक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

अर्जुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Brahmā
• Rudra (Śiva)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the highest cosmic functions—creation and dissolution—are carried out by exalted deities as instruments of the Supreme will; their powers arise from His grace and wrath, and they act by the path He ordains.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna is describing the cosmic hierarchy: Brahmā and Rudra, though supreme among gods, manifest and operate under a higher divine principle, executing creation and destruction according to that command.