Shloka 163

Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment

Parāśara’s Instruction

Devanagari script

यः: सहस्राण्यनेकानि पुंसामावृत्य दुर्देश: । तिष्ठत्येक: समुद्रान्ते स मे गोप्तास्तु नित्यश:

Transliteration

yaḥ sahasrāṇy anekāni puṁsām āvṛtya durdeśaḥ | tiṣṭhaty ekaḥ samudrānte sa me goptāstu nityaśaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩言：愿那唯一者——以幻蔽遮覆无量众生之心而难可了知；独立无双、无可比拟；当诸欲止息之际，便如大海彼岸般显现——恒常护佑于我。

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• अनेकानि: many
• अनेकानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• पुंसाम्: of men
• पुंसाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• आवृत्य: having covered/veiled
• आवृत्य: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√वृ (वृञ्)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Active

• दुर्देशः: hard to know/understand (lit. difficult to point out)
• दुर्देशः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्देश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तिष्ठति: stands/remains
• तिष्ठति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था
• Form: Present, Indicative, Parasmaipada, Third, Singular

• एकः: one, alone, unique
• एकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• समुद्रान्ते: at the ocean's end / on the shore
• समुद्रान्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्रान्त
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मे: my/of me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• गोप्ता: protector
• गोप्ता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अस्तु: may (he) be
• अस्तु: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस्
• Form: Present, Imperative (benedictive sense), Parasmaipada, Third, Singular

• नित्यशः: always, continually
• नित्यशः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यशस्
• Form: true

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Parameshvara (the One Lord)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents the Lord as ultimately one and incomparable, yet difficult to grasp because beings are veiled by māyā/ignorance; true clarity arises when desire is brought to an end, and devotion seeks divine protection.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhishma instructs on dharma and higher truths; here he utters a devotional invocation, asking the incomprehensible yet singular Lord—revealed when cravings subside—to protect him continually.