Shloka 9

Adhyāya 70: Sātyaki’s Arrow-Display and the Bhūriśravas Engagement; Twilight Withdrawal

Devanagari script

भूतं भव्यं भविष्यच्च पूर्वमेतदकल्पयत्‌ । उभे संध्ये दिश: खं च नियमांश्व॒ जनार्दन:

Transliteration

bhūtaṃ bhavyaṃ bhaviṣyac ca pūrvam etad akalpayat | ubhe sandhye diśaḥ khaṃ ca niyamāṃś ca janārdanaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Từ thuở xưa, chính Ngài đã sắp đặt và tạo tác dòng thời gian ba phần—quá khứ, hiện tại và tương lai. Janārdana ấy cũng tạo nên hai thời khắc giao hội (bình minh và hoàng hôn), các phương hướng, bầu trời, cùng những quy phạm chi phối thế gian.”

Word by Word

• भूतम्: the past (that which has been)
• भूतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (भू + क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• भव्यम्: the future (what is to be)
• भव्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• भविष्यत्: the present/coming (that which will be)
• भविष्यत्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भविष्यत् (भू + शतृ/शतृ-प्रत्ययः, भविष्यत्)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व

• एतत्: this (all this)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अकल्पयत्: created, fashioned, arranged
• Type: Verb
• Root: कल्प्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• उभे: both
• उभे: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Dual

• संध्ये: twilights (dawn and dusk)
• संध्ये: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Dual

• दिशः: directions
• दिशः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• खम्: sky, space
• खम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• नियमान्: rules, ordinances, restraints
• नियमान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• जनार्दनः: Janārdana (Krishna/Vishnu)
• जनार्दनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu)
• sandhyā (dawn and dusk)
• diś (directions)
• kha (sky/space)
• niyama (ordinances)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts Janārdana’s supreme role as the cosmic organizer: time (past–present–future) and the world’s regulating structures (twilights, directions, space, and ordinances) arise from Him, implying that dharma and order are grounded in a divine source.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma Parva, Bhīṣma speaks in praise of Janārdana, describing Him not merely as a warrior’s ally but as the cosmic creator and regulator, thereby elevating the battlefield context into a theological affirmation of divine governance.