Shloka 40

अध्याय ३५१ — उञ्छवृत्ति-व्रतसिद्धेः मानुषस्य परमगतिः

Sūrya–Nāga Dialogue on the Perfected Gleaner-Ascetic

Devanagari script

भूतभव्यभविष्यज्ञ: सत्यवादी दृढव्रत: । तमुवाच नत मूर्ध्ना देवानामादिरव्यय:

Transliteration

bhūtabhavyabhaviṣyajñaḥ satyavādī dṛḍhavrataḥ | tam uvāca nata-mūrdhnā devānām ādir avyayaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Apāntaratamā là người biết quá khứ, biết điều tương lai đã trở thành hiện tại, và cả điều chưa đến; người nói lời chân thật và bền chí giữ giới nguyện. Bấy giờ, đấng Hari bất hoại—cội nguồn đầu tiên của chư thiên—cất lời với người con ấy đang đứng cúi đầu cung kính.

Word by Word

• भूतभव्यभविष्यज्ञः: knower of past, present, and future
• भूतभव्यभविष्यज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूत-भव्य-भविष्य-ज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यवादी: truth-speaking
• सत्यवादी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्यवादिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दृढव्रतः: firm in vows
• दृढव्रतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढव्रत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उवाच: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• नतमूर्ध्ना: with bowed head
• नतमूर्ध्ना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नत-मूर्धन्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

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

• आदिः: the origin/first cause
• आदिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अव्ययः: imperishable
• अव्ययः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• the gods (devas)
• the son (putra; contextually Apāntaratamas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse elevates ethical integrity—truthfulness (satya) and steadfast commitment to vows (vrata)—as marks of spiritual authority, and frames genuine knowledge as spanning time (past, unfolding present, and future), culminating in reverent receptivity to divine instruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a venerable figure (identified in context as Apāntaratamas) as omniscient across time and unwavering in truth and vows. Standing with bowed head, he is then addressed by the imperishable Lord Hari, presented as the primal source of the gods.