Shloka 136

Devanagari script

इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धि: सत्त्वं तेजो बल॑ धृति: । वासुदेवात्मकान्याहु: क्षेत्र क्षेत्र् एव च,इन्द्रियाँ, मन, बुद्धि, सत्त्व, तेज, बल, धीरज, क्षेत्र, (शरीर) और क्षेत्रज्ञ (आत्मा)-ये सब-के-सब श्रीवासुदेवके रूप हैं, ऐसा वेद कहते हैं

Transliteration

indriyāṇi mano buddhiḥ sattvaṃ tejo balaṃ dhṛtiḥ | vāsudevātmakāny āhuḥ kṣetra-kṣetrajña eva ca ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—ఇంద్రియాలు, మనస్సు, బుద్ధి, సత్త్వం, తేజస్సు, బలం, ధృతి; అలాగే క్షేత్రం (దేహం) మరియు క్షేత్రజ్ఞుడు (ఆత్మ)—ఇవన్నీ వాసుదేవస్వరూపమని వేదము ప్రకటించుచున్నది।

Word by Word

इन्द्रियाणिthe senses

मनःmind

बुद्धिःintellect

सत्त्वम्sattva / purity / being

तेजःsplendor / energy

बलम्strength

धृतिःsteadfastness / fortitude

वासुदेवात्मकानिhaving Vasudeva as their essence / of the nature of Vasudeva

आहुःthey say / have declared

क्षेत्रम्the field (body)

क्षेत्रज्ञःthe knower of the field (self)

एवindeed / just

चand

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Vāsudeva

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?

All components of embodied experience—senses, mind, intellect, inner qualities, strength, and even the body (kṣetra) and the self (kṣetrajña)—are affirmed as manifestations of Vāsudeva. Ethically, this supports disciplined living: mastery of faculties, purity of intention, and devotion grounded in the recognition of the divine pervading all.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he presents a theological-ethical vision: the Veda proclaims Vāsudeva as the essence behind both the instruments of action/knowledge and the very framework of embodiment and selfhood.