Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 137

Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ

Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony

Devanagari script

हृदिस्थ: सर्वभूतानां विश्वरूपो महेश्वर: । भक्तानामनुकम्पार्थ दर्शनं च यथाश्रुतम्‌

Transliteration

hṛdisthaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ viśvarūpo maheśvaraḥ | bhaktānām anukampārthaṃ darśanaṃ ca yathāśrutam ||

Translation

Vāsudeva nói: “Đại Chúa Tể Maheśvara, Đấng mang hình tướng vũ trụ, ngự trong trái tim của mọi loài hữu tình. Vì lòng thương xót đối với kẻ sùng tín, Ngài ban cho họ được chiêm kiến Ngài—đúng như điều đã được nghe và truyền lại trong thánh truyền.”

Word by Word

• हृदि-स्थः: dwelling in the heart
• हृदि-स्थः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृदि (हृद्) + स्थ (स्था)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्व-भूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्व-भूतानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + भूत (भू)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• विश्व-रूपः: whose form is the universe / of universal form
• विश्व-रूपः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व + रूप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महेश्वरः: the Great Lord (Maheshvara)
• महेश्वरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भक्तानाम्: of devotees / for devotees
• भक्तानाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त (भज्)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अनुकम्प-अर्थम्: for the sake of compassion
• अनुकम्प-अर्थम्: Prayojana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुकम्पा + अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दर्शनम्: the manifestation / appearance / vision
• दर्शनम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• यथा-श्रुतम्: as heard / according to what is heard (tradition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + श्रुत (श्रु)

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• Maheśvara (the Great Lord)
• all beings (sarvabhūta)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The Supreme Lord is both immanent and universal—present within the heart of every being and encompassing all as His cosmic form. Divine revelation (darśana) is not arbitrary; it is granted out of compassion to devotees, aligning with what is affirmed by sacred tradition (yathāśrutam).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāsudeva is explaining the nature of the Lord to his listener(s): the deity is inwardly present in all creatures and, when devotees seek Him with faith, He mercifully allows them a direct experience or vision, consistent with what has been transmitted in authoritative teachings.