Shloka 96

Devanagari script

समावर्तोंडनिवृत्तात्मा दुर्जयो दुरतिक्रम: । दुर्लभो दुर्गमो दुर्गों दुरावासो दुरारिहा

Transliteration

samāvarto 'nivṛttātmā durjayo duratikramaḥ | durlabho durgamo durgo durāvāso durārihā ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：他是恒常回旋之主，转动世间轮回之轮；其自性从不离于万有，因为他无处不在。他不可战胜，亦无人能违越其命令。非以虔信不得亲近；他难以了知，难以抵达。即便瑜伽行者，也难将他安置于心中；而他是诛灭敌对与不义之力者。

Word by Word

• समावर्तः: one who causes (the cycle) to turn fully; the all-circling one
• समावर्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समावर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अनिवृत्तात्मा: whose self is not withdrawn (present everywhere)
• अनिवृत्तात्मा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनिवृत्तात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दुर्जयः: hard to conquer; unconquerable
• दुर्जयः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दुरतिक्रमः: hard to transgress; whose command cannot be violated
• दुरतिक्रमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुरतिक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दुर्लभः: hard to obtain; rare
• दुर्लभः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दुर्गमः: hard to approach/understand
• दुर्गमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दुर्गः: hard to reach; inaccessible (like a fortress)
• दुर्गः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दुरावासः: hard to dwell in / hard to be made to dwell (in the heart)
• दुरावासः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुरावास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दुरारिहा: slayer of difficult foes; destroyer of wicked enemies
• दुरारिहा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुरारिहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• the Supreme Lord (Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches divine transcendence and sovereignty: the Supreme is omnipresent and inviolable, beyond conquest or disobedience. Yet He is not easily attained by mere effort; devotion and inner realization are emphasized, and even yogic absorption is portrayed as difficult. He also upholds dharma by destroying hostile, unrighteous forces.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira and offers a hymn-like description of the Supreme Lord through a series of epithets. This verse continues that praise, highlighting the Lord’s inaccessibility to the unprepared and His role as protector of dharma.