Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 163

Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ

Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony

Devanagari script

अरूपस्याद्यरूपस्य अतिरूपाद्यरूपिण: । अनाट्यन्तमजस्यान्तं वेत्स्यते को5स्य तत्त्वतः

Transliteration

arūpasyādyarūpasya atirūpādyarūpiṇaḥ | anāṭyantamajas yāntaṃ vetsyate ko 'sya tattvataḥ ||

Translation

婆苏提婆说道：“他无相，而为无相之先；超越一切形相，却又是一切形相之源。既为不生，便无始亦无终。究竟有谁能如实了知他的真实本性？”

Word by Word

• अरूपस्य: of the formless one
• अरूपस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• आद्य: of the primordial (one)
• आद्य: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अरूपस्य: of the formless (one)
• अरूपस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अतिरूपात्: beyond form / from (that which is) transcending form
• अतिरूपात्: Apadana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• अरूपिणः: of the formless one (possessing formlessness)
• अरूपिणः: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अनाट्यन्तम्: endless / without limit
• अनाट्यन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अजस्य: of the unborn one
• अजस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अन्तम्: end / limit
• अन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वेत्स्यते: will know
• वेत्स्यते: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta
• Type: Noun (Pronoun)
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अस्य: of him / of this (one)
• अस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun (Pronoun)
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• तत्त्वतः: in reality / truly / as it is
• तत्त्वतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्वतः (अव्यय; तत्त्व + तस्)

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva (Krishna)
• Mahādeva (Śiva) (implied by the accompanying Hindi gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse stresses the transcendence of the supreme reality: it is beyond form and conceptual limits, unborn and without beginning or end; therefore complete knowledge of its essence is beyond ordinary cognition, encouraging humility and reverence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāsudeva is describing the nature of the highest divine principle (understood in this context as Mahādeva/Śiva): emphasizing its formlessness, primacy, and beginningless-endless character, and concluding that no one can fully grasp its true essence.