Shloka 33

Puruṣaikatva-vyākhyāna: The One Virāṭ Puruṣa and the Many ‘Puruṣas’

Rudra–Brahmā Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

द्विजोत्तम महाभाग पश्यतां वचनान्मम । सम्राड्‌ राजा वसुर्नाम धर्मात्मा संशितव्रत:,“महाभाग पक्षिप्रवर! तुम मेरी आज्ञासे कठोर व्रतका पालन करनेवाले धर्मात्मा सम्राट्‌ राजा वसुके पास जाकर उन्हें देखो

Transliteration

dvijottama mahābhāga paśyatāṁ vacanān mama | samrāḍ rājā vasur nāma dharmātmā saṁśitavrataḥ ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను— ఓ ద్విజోత్తమా, ఓ మహాభాగుడా! నా వాక్యాన్ని గమనించు. వసు అనే ఒక సామ్రాట్ రాజు ఉన్నాడు—ధర్మాత్ముడు, కఠిన వ్రతాలలో స్థిరుడు. నా ఆజ్ఞతో అతని వద్దకు వెళ్లి అతనిని దర్శించు.

Word by Word

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of the twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• महाभाग: O highly fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभाग
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पश्यताम्: let (them/you all) see; behold
• पश्यताम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Plural

• वचनात्: from/according to (my) word; by command
• वचनात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• मम: of me; my
• मम: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• सम्राट्: emperor
• सम्राट्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्राट्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वसुः: Vasu (proper name)
• वसुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नाम: by name; named
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम

• धर्मात्मा: righteous-souled; virtuous
• धर्मात्मा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संशितव्रतः: of firm/austere vows
• संशितव्रतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संशितव्रत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Vasu (king/emperor)
• dvijottama (addressed person: a Brahmin/learned twice-born)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma highlights an ethical exemplar: a ruler whose sovereignty is grounded in dharma and disciplined vows. The verse frames righteous kingship as inseparable from moral restraint and steadfast observance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma addresses a learned ‘twice-born’ person and directs him to go, by Bhishma’s instruction, to meet and observe Emperor King Vasu, introduced as a dharmic and vow-steady ruler—likely as part of a larger illustrative account.