Shloka 2
Adhyāya 314 — हिमवदाश्रमः, शक्तिक्षेपकथा, तथा स्वाध्यायविधिः
Himalayan Hermitage, the Myth of the Thrown Spear, and Rules of Vedic Study
अव्यक्तरूपो भगवान् शतथा च सहस्रधा । शतधा सहस्रधा चैव तथा शतसहस्रधा
avyaktarūpo bhagavān śatadhā ca sahasradhā | śatadhā sahasradhā caiva tathā śatasahasradhā ||
Yājñavalkya disse: “O Senhor Bem-aventurado é de forma não manifesta, e ainda assim aparece de muitas maneiras—por centenas e por milhares; e até por centenas de milhares.”
याज़्वल्क्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the Supreme is fundamentally unmanifest (beyond sensory grasp), yet can manifest innumerably in the world. It reconciles transcendence (avyakta) with immanence (many forms), suggesting that multiplicity of appearances does not contradict a single, subtle divine reality.
In the Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, the sage Yājñavalkya is explaining a doctrinal point about the nature of the Lord: though not directly visible as a fixed form, the divine is understood to appear in countless modes and manifestations.