Shloka 87

Devanagari script

मनोजवस्तीर्थकरो वसुरेता वसुप्रद: । वसुप्रदो वासुदेवो वसुर्वसुमना हवि:,६९० मनोजव:-मनकी भाँति वेगवाले, ६९१ तीर्थकर:-समस्त विद्याओंके रचयिता और उपदेशकर्ता, ६९२ वसुरेता:-हिरण्यमय पुरुष (प्रथम पुरुषसृष्टिका बीज) जिनका वीर्य है--ऐसे सुवर्णवीर्य, ६९३ वसुप्रद:-प्रचुर धन प्रदान करनेवाले, ६९४ वसुप्रद:-अपने भक्तोंको मोक्षरूप महान्‌ धन देनेवाले, ६९५ वासुदेव:-वसुदेवपुत्र श्रीकृष्ण, ६९६ वसु:- सबके अन्तःकरणमें निवास करनेवाले, ६९७ वसुमना:-समानभावसे सबमें निवास करनेकी शक्तिसे युक्त मनवाले, ६९८ हविः:-यज्ञमें हवन किये जाने योग्य हविःस्वरूप

Transliteration

manojavas tīrthakaro vasuretā vasupradaḥ | vasuprado vāsudevo vasur vasumanā haviḥ ||

Translation

بھیشم نے کہا—وہ خیال کی مانند تیز ہے؛ تیرتھ کر—یعنی نجات کے سادھنوں کا قائم کرنے والا؛ سنہری اور زندگی بخش بیج-قوت والا وَسُرِیتا؛ وَسُپرد—دولت عطا کرنے والا، بلکہ موکش (نجات) کی صورت میں اعلیٰ ترین دولت دینے والا بھی۔ وہی واسودیو ہے؛ وہی باطن میں بسنے والا وَسُو ہے؛ سب جانداروں میں یکساں نظر رکھنے والا وَسُومَنا ہے؛ اور وہی یَجْنَ میں نذر کیے جانے کے لائق ہَوِی-سَروپ ہے۔

Word by Word

मनोजवःone whose speed is like the mind; swift as thought

तीर्थकरःmaker of sacred fords; establisher of holy means/paths

वसुरेताःone whose seed/virility is 'vasu' (gold/wealth); golden-seeded

वसुप्रदःgiver of wealth

वसुप्रदःgiver of the supreme wealth (e.g., liberation) to devotees

वासुदेवःVāsudeva (son of Vasudeva; Krishna)

वसुःthe excellent one; wealth; (also) one who dwells within

वसुमनाःone whose mind is rich/excellent; noble-minded

हविःoblation; sacrificial offering

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

havis (sacrificial oblation)

tīrtha (sacred ford/place/means of crossing)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The Lord is portrayed as both the means and the goal: he establishes ‘crossings’ that help beings pass beyond suffering (tīrthakara), supports life and prosperity (vasuprada), and also grants the highest wealth—liberation. Worship is internalized by identifying him as the indwelling presence (vasu) and as the very oblation of sacrifice (haviḥ).

What is happening in the narrative?

Within Bhīṣma’s hymn-like recitation of divine names (a praise context in the Anuśāsana Parva), he strings together epithets of Vāsudeva/Kṛṣṇa, highlighting divine speed, guidance, creative power, generosity, inner immanence, equanimity, and sacrificial identity.