Shloka 5

Makara-vyūha and Krauñca-prativyūha at Sunrise (मकरव्यूहः क्रौञ्चप्रतिव्यूहश्च)

Devanagari script

“भगवान्‌ भूगुने आपको देवताओंका भी देवता कहा है। विष्णो! आपका रूप अत्यन्त पुरातन और उत्तवृष्ट है ।।

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | bhagavān bhṛguṇe āpko devatāoṃ kā bhī devatā kahā hai | viṣṇo! āp kā rūpa atyanta purātana aura uttama-śreṣṭha hai || vāsudevo vasūnāṃ tvaṃ śakraṃ sthāpayitā tathā | deva-devo 'si devānām iti dvaipāyano 'bravīt ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Bậc thánh hiền thuộc dòng Bhṛgu đã gọi Ngài là Thần của các thần. Hỡi Viṣṇu, hình thể của Ngài vô cùng cổ xưa và tôn quý tối thượng. Ngài là Vāsudeva giữa các Vasu, và chính Ngài đã đặt Śakra (Indra) lên ngôi chủ quyền cõi trời. Vì thế, hiền triết Dvaipāyana đã tuyên bố: ‘Ngài là Thần của các thần.’”

Word by Word

• वासुदेवः: Vasudeva (Krishna)
• वासुदेवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वसूनाम्: of the Vasus
• वसूनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• शक्रम्: Shakra (Indra)
• शक्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• स्थापयिता: the establisher / installer
• स्थापयिता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्था (causative √स्था → स्थापय-)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: and also / likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• देव: O god
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• देवः: god
• देवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• देवः: god
• देवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• असि: are
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present, Second, Singular

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• इति: thus / '...'
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• द्वैपायनः: Dvaipayana (Vyasa)
• द्वैपायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वैपायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अब्रवीत्: said / spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect (Past), Third, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (Bhīṣma)
• Vishnu (Viṣṇu)
• Vasudeva (Vāsudeva)
• Vasus (Vasu-gaṇa)
• Shakra/Indra (Śakra/Indra)
• Dvaipayana/Vyasa (Dvaipāyana/Vyāsa)
• Bhrigu lineage sage (Bhṛguṇe)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts Viṣṇu’s supreme status: even the gods depend upon him. By portraying him as the one who legitimizes Indra’s rule in heaven, it frames divine authority and cosmic governance as grounded in a higher, dharmic source.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma offers a stuti (praise) identifying Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa as primordial and unsurpassed, citing revered seers (a Bhṛgu sage and Dvaipāyana/Vyāsa) as witnesses to this doctrine, and highlighting his role in establishing Indra’s sovereignty.