Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 15

अध्याय १६ — शङ्कर-उमा-वरदानम् तथा तण्डि-स्तुतिः (Śaṅkara–Umā Boon-Granting and Taṇḍi’s Hymn)

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मा शतक्रतुर्विष्णुर्विश्वेदेवा महर्षय:

Transliteration

brahmā śatakratur viṣṇur viśvedevā maharṣayaḥ | brahmā viṣṇur indro viśvedevā tathā maharṣayaḥ api tvāṃ yathārtharūpeṇa na jānanti | punaḥ vayaṃ kathaṃ jñātuṃ śaknumaḥ | tvattaḥ eva sarveṣāṃ utpattiḥ bhavati tvayi ca idaṃ sarvaṃ jagat pratiṣṭhitam |

Translation

风神说道：“梵天、百祭主（因陀罗）、毗湿奴、诸毗湿伐天与大圣仙们，也不能如实了知你。我们又怎能知晓？唯由你而万有生起，且此整个世界皆安立于你之中。”

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शतक्रतुः: Indra (the 'hundred-sacrifices' one)
• शतक्रतुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतक्रतु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विश्वेदेवाः: the Viśvedevas (all the gods as a group)
• विश्वेदेवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वदेव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वायुदेव (Vāyu)
• ब्रह्मा (Brahmā)
• शतक्रतु/इन्द्र (Śatakratu/Indra)
• विष्णु (Viṣṇu)
• विश्वेदेव (Viśvedevas)
• महर्षि (Maharṣis)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the highest gods and sages cannot fully comprehend the Supreme as it truly is; therefore one should approach the divine with humility, recognizing it as the ultimate source and support of the cosmos.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu addresses a supreme divine presence, declaring that Brahmā, Indra, Viṣṇu, the Viśvedevas, and great seers cannot know that being’s true nature, and affirming that all creation arises from and rests upon that supreme reality.