Shloka 136

Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment

Parāśara’s Instruction

Devanagari script

उन्मेषश्व निमेषश्च क्षुतं जृम्भितमेव च । लोहितान्तर्गता दृष्टिमहावक्त्रो महोदर:

Transliteration

unmeṣaś ca nimeṣaś ca kṣutaṁ jṛmbhitam eva ca | lohitāntargatā dṛṣṭir mahāvaktrō mahodaraḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“你就是睁眼与合眼之举，就是喷嚏与呵欠之动。你那如火般赤红的目光潜藏于内；你的口广大无边，你的腹亦广大无边。”

Word by Word

• उन्मेषः: opening (of the eyes), blinking open
• उन्मेषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उन्मेष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• निमेषः: closing (of the eyes), blinking shut
• निमेषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमेष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• क्षुतम्: sneezing
• क्षुतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• जृम्भितम्: yawning
• जृम्भितम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जृम्भित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• लोहित-अन्तर्गताम्: hidden/contained within redness (fiery red)
• लोहित-अन्तर्गताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोहित + अन्तर्गत
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्टिम्: gaze, vision
• दृष्टिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• महा-वक्त्रः: having a great mouth/face
• महा-वक्त्रः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + वक्त्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महा-उदरः: having a great belly/abdomen
• महा-उदरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + उदर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches divine immanence: even automatic, everyday bodily motions (blinking, sneezing, yawning) are expressions of the Supreme, encouraging humility and reverence toward life as pervaded by the divine.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma continues a laudatory discourse, describing the Lord in cosmic terms—identifying Him with universal processes and portraying a vast, awe-inspiring form with an inner fiery gaze.