Shloka 142

Devanagari script

विश्वेश्वरमजं देव॑ जगत: प्रभवाप्ययम्‌ । भजन्ति ये पुष्कराक्षं न ते यान्ति पराभवम्‌

Transliteration

viśveśvaram ajaṃ devaṃ jagataḥ prabhavāpyayam | bhajanti ye puṣkarākṣaṃ na te yānti parābhavam ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：凡敬拜毗湿奴——宇宙之主、不生之神、世间之生起与归灭之本源、莲华眼的护持者——便永不陷于败亡。

Word by Word

• विश्वेश्वरम्: the Lord of the universe
• विश्वेश्वरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अजम्: unborn
• अजम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जगतः: of the world
• जगतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• प्रभवाप्ययम्: origin and dissolution
• प्रभवाप्ययम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभवाप्यय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• भजन्ति: worship/serve
• भजन्ति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पुष्कराक्षम्: the lotus-eyed one
• पुष्कराक्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कराक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यान्ति: go/attain
• यान्ति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: या
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• पराभवम्: defeat, downfall
• पराभवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पराभव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Vishnu (Puṣkarākṣa, Viśveśvara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Worship and reliance upon Vishnu—the unborn Lord who governs the world’s arising and dissolution—protects a person from parābhava (defeat/downfall), implying that devotion grounded in dharma yields steadiness, protection, and enduring success.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction setting, Bhishma continues his teachings by praising Vishnu’s supreme status and assuring Yudhishthira that devotees who take refuge in the lotus-eyed Lord do not meet with defeat.