Shloka 61

Devanagari script

अश्रिनौ श्रवणाौ नित्यं देवी जिह्नला सरस्वती । वेदा: संस्कारनिष्ठा हि त्वयीदं जगदाश्रितम्‌

Transliteration

aśvinau śravaṇau nityaṃ devī jihvā sarasvatī | vedāḥ saṃskāra-niṣṭhā hi tvayi idaṃ jagad āśritam ||

Translation

ภีษมะกล่าวว่า “อัศวินทั้งสองเป็นโสตของพระองค์เนืองนิตย์; และพระแม่สรัสวตีคือพระชิวหา. พระเวททั้งหลายคือความมั่นคงของพระองค์ในระเบียบแห่งสังสการอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์; โลกทั้งปวงนี้พึ่งพาพระองค์อยู่เสมอ.”

Word by Word

• अश्रिणौ: the two Ashvins (Ashvinīkumāras)
• अश्रिणौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्रि (प्रातिपदिक; ‘अश्रि’ = अश्विनौ/अश्विनीकुमारौ इति पाठभेद/व्याख्या)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• श्रवणौ: two ears
• श्रवणौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Dual

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• जिह्वा: tongue
• जिह्वा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अलसरस्वती: Sarasvatī (goddess of speech/learning)
• अलसरस्वती: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• वेदाः: the Vedas
• वेदाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• संस्कारनिष्ठाः: firmly established in (proper) rites/discipline
• संस्कारनिष्ठाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संस्कारनिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• त्वयि: in you
• त्वयि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: —, Locative, Singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• जगत्: world/universe
• जगत्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• आश्रितम्: supported/resting (upon)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु) → आश्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Ashvins (Aśvinīkumāras)
• Sarasvati
• Vedas
• Jagat (the world/universe)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that divine governance of the cosmos is expressed through sacred faculties—hearing, speech, and Vedic discipline—and that the world’s stability depends on the supreme sustaining principle addressed by Bhishma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma offers a hymn-like praise, identifying cosmic deities and the Vedas as aspects or functions of the one he addresses, emphasizing that all order and support in the universe ultimately rests upon that supreme being.