Shloka 64

Devanagari script

अकुण्ठं सर्वकार्येषु धर्मकार्यार्थमुद्यतम्‌ । वैकुण्ठस्य च तद्‌ रूप॑ तस्मै कार्यात्मने नम:,जिन्हें कोई भी काम करनेमें रुकावट नहीं होती, जो धर्मका काम करनेको सर्वदा उद्यत रहते हैं तथा जो वैकुण्ठधामके स्वरूप हैं, उन कार्यरूप भगवान्‌को नमस्कार है

Transliteration

akuṇṭhaṁ sarvakāryeṣu dharmakāryārtham udyatam | vaikuṇṭhasya ca tad rūpaṁ tasmai kāryātmane namaḥ ||

Translation

ଯିଏ ସମସ୍ତ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟରେ ଅବରୋଧହୀନ, ଧର୍ମକାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ସାଧନରେ ସଦା ଉଦ୍ୟତ, ଏବଂ ଯିଏ ବୈକୁଣ୍ଠଧାମର ସ୍ୱରୂପ—ସେହି କାର୍ଯ୍ୟାତ୍ମକ ଭଗବାନଙ୍କୁ ନମସ୍କାର।

Word by Word

अकुण्ठम्unhindered, unimpeded

सर्वकार्येषुin all actions/undertakings

धर्मकार्यof righteous duty (dharma-work)

अर्थम्for the sake/purpose

उद्यतम्raised/ready/striving

वैकुण्ठस्यof Vaikuṇṭha (Vishnu/His abode)

चand

तत्that

रूपम्form, nature

तस्मैto him/to that (one)

कार्यात्मनेto the one whose essence is action / the action-embodied

नमःsalutation

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Vaikuntha

Bhagavan (Vishnu/Narayana)

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 teaches that the highest object of reverence is the power that acts without obstruction for the sake of dharma. Divine greatness is characterized by unfailing effectiveness (akuṇṭhatā) and constant commitment to righteous purpose (dharma-kārya), presenting an ethical ideal of action aligned with righteousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct after the war. Here he offers a brief hymn of salutation, identifying the Lord (associated with Nārāyaṇa/Viṣṇu) as the unobstructed doer of dharmic work and as the very embodiment of Vaikuṇṭha, reinforcing devotion alongside ethical instruction.