Shloka 19

Vyaktāvyakta-Viveka and Nivṛtti as Paramā Gati

Manifest–Unmanifest Discrimination and the Supreme Path of Withdrawal

Devanagari script

युगान्ते5न्तर्हितान्‌ वेदान्‌ सेतिहासान्‌ महर्षय: । लेभिरे तपसा पूर्वमनुज्ञाता: स्वयम्भुवा

Transliteration

Bhīṣma uvāca | yugānte 'ntarhitān vedān setihāsān maharṣayaḥ | lebhire tapasā pūrvam anujñātāḥ svayambhuvā ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: Vào lúc tận cùng của một thời đại, khi các Veda cùng với Itihāsa đã khuất lấp khỏi tầm thấy, các đại hiền triết—được Đấng Tự Sinh (Svayambhū) cho phép—đã là những người đầu tiên, vào buổi khởi đầu của chu kỳ mới, phục hồi lại chúng nhờ sức mạnh của khổ hạnh (tapas).

Word by Word

• युगान्ते: at the end of the yuga
• युगान्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युगान्त
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अन्तर्हितान्: hidden, disappeared
• अन्तर्हितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तर्हित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• वेदान्: the Vedas
• वेदान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• स: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स

• इतिहासान्: the Itihasas (histories)
• इतिहासान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• महर्षयः: the great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• लेभिरे: obtained, recovered
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), Third, Plural, Atmanepada

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• पूर्वम्: formerly; first
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व

• अनुज्ञाताः: having been permitted/authorized
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुज्ञात
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स्वयम्भुवा: by the Self-born (Brahmā)
• स्वयम्भुवा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयम्भू
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Vedas
• Itihāsas
• Maharṣis
• Svayambhū (Brahmā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sacred knowledge can become obscured during cosmic decline, but it is restored through tapas (disciplined spiritual effort) when aligned with rightful authority (here, Svayambhū). This frames preservation of dharma as both a divine trust and a human responsibility carried by seers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma explains a cosmological tradition: at the end of a yuga the Vedas and Itihāsas become hidden, and at the start of the next cycle the maharṣis, authorized by the Self-born Creator, recover them through austerity—re-establishing the foundations for dharma and teaching.