Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 29
Devanagari script
बहुभिववविधै रूपैर्विश्व॑ं व्याप्तमिदं जगत् । तस्य देवस्य यद् वक्त्र समुद्रे वडवामुखम्
Transliteration
bahubhir vividharūpair viśvaṃ vyāptam idaṃ jagat | tasya devasya yad vaktraṃ samudre vaḍavāmukham ||
Translation
伐由说道：“此整个世界，皆为那位神祇以无量多样之形相、以种种方式所遍满。那同一位神的‘口’，在大海之中显现为瓦达瓦之口（Vaḍavā-mukha）——海底之火。”
Word by Word
बहुभिःby many
बहुभिः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootबहु
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural
विविधैःvarious
विविधैः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootविविध
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural
रूपैःforms
रूपैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootरूप
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Plural
विश्वम्entire, whole
विश्वम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootविश्व
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
व्याप्तम्pervaded
व्याप्तम्:
TypeVerb
Rootव्याप्
Formक्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Accusative, Singular
इदम्this
इदम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
जगत्world
जगत्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootजगत्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
तस्यof that
तस्य:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular
देवस्यof the god
देवस्य:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootदेव
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
यत्which/that (relative)
यत्:
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
वक्त्रम्mouth, face
वक्त्रम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवक्त्र
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
समुद्रेin the ocean
समुद्रे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसमुद्र
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
वडवामुखम्the mare-faced (submarine fire)
वडवामुखम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवडवामुख
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
वायुदेव उवाच
Characters & Entities
V
Vāyu (Vāyudeva)D
Deva (the Deity, implied Mahādeva/Śiva in context)S
Samudra (the ocean)V
Vaḍavāmukha (submarine fire)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches divine immanence: the supreme deity pervades the whole cosmos through innumerable forms, and even awe-inspiring natural phenomena (like the submarine fire) are expressions of that deity’s power.
Vāyu is describing the all-pervading nature of the deity and identifying the oceanic Vaḍavā-mukha (submarine fire) as the deity’s ‘mouth’, linking cosmic geography and natural forces to a theological vision.