Shloka 2

श्रेयो-धर्मकर्मविचारः

Inquiry into Śreyas, Dharma, and Karma

Devanagari script

मूर्धा यस्य त्वनन्तं च स्थानं दानवसत्तम | तस्याहं ते प्रवक्ष्यामि विष्णोमहित्म्यमुत्तमम्‌

Transliteration

mūrdhā yasya tv anantaṃ ca sthānaṃ dānavasattama | tasyāhaṃ te pravakṣyāmi viṣṇoḥ māhātmyam uttamam ||

Translation

హే దానవశ్రేష్ఠా! యెవరి శిరస్సు అనంతమో, యెవరి ధామమూ అనంతమో, ఆ విష్ణువుని పరమ మహాత్మ్యమును నేను నీకు ప్రకటించెదను।

Word by Word

• मूर्धा: head
• मूर्धा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• अनन्तम्: endless/infinite
• अनन्तम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्त
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• स्थानम्: abode/place
• स्थानम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• दानवसत्तम: O best of the Danavas
• दानवसत्तम: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव-सत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: —, Dative, Singular

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall declare/tell
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• विष्णोः: of Vishnu
• विष्णोः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness/glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उत्तमम्: supreme/excellent
• उत्तमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Viṣṇu
• Ananta
• Dānava (addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames Viṣṇu as transcendent and immeasurable (ananta), establishing a devotional-theological basis: true understanding of dharma is supported by recognizing the supreme, limitless nature and glory (māhātmya) of the divine.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma begins a discourse addressed to a Dānava, announcing that he will now expound the highest glory of Viṣṇu, characterized by infinity and association with Ananta as His abode/support.