Shloka 42
सुभुजो दुर्धरो वाग्मी महेन्द्रो वसुदो वसु: । नैकरूपो बूहद्रूप: शिपिविष्ट: प्रकाशन:
subhujo durdharo vāgmī mahendro vasudo vasuḥ | naikarūpo bṛhadrūpaḥ śipiviṣṭaḥ prakāśanaḥ ||
Wika ni Bhīṣma: Siya ang may magagandang bisig na nagtatanggol sa sanlibutan; ang Mahirap maunawaan o mapanatili kahit sa pagninilay; ang pinagmumulan ng pananalitang isinilang sa Veda; ang Mahendra, ang Panginoon maging ng mga panginoon; ang tagapagkaloob ng yaman at ang yaman mismo. Siya’y may maraming anyo at may malawak na anyong pangkalahatan; naroroon sa mga sinag ng araw; at Siya ang Tagapagliwanag na nagpapahayag sa lahat ng bagay.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the Divine is simultaneously beyond easy mental grasp (durdharaḥ) and yet present as the very light and revelation within the world (śipiviṣṭaḥ, prakāśanaḥ). Ethical life is supported by this vision: one seeks protection and strength (subhujaḥ), cultivates disciplined contemplation, and aligns with dharma under the ‘Lord of lords’ (mahendraḥ), recognizing prosperity as both gift and sacred trust (vasudaḥ, vasuḥ).
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and extols the highest refuge through a revered hymn of divine names. This verse is one segment of that praise, listing epithets that describe the deity’s power to protect, to grant prosperity, to manifest in countless forms, and to illuminate the cosmos.