Shloka 33
Devanagari script
सर्वभूतात्मभूतो हि वासुदेवो महाबल: । पृथिवी वायुराकाशमापो ज्योतिश्न॒ पञचमम्
Transliteration
sarvabhūtātmabhūto hi vāsudevo mahābalaḥ | pṛthivī vāyur ākāśam āpo jyotiṣ ca pañcamam ||
Translation
毗湿摩说道：“大力的婆苏提婆已成为一切众生的自性（我、Ātman）。地、风、空、水与光明/火——这五大元素，皆摄于他之中。”
Word by Word
सर्वभूतात्मभूतःbecome the Self of all beings
सर्वभूतात्मभूतः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्व-भूत-आत्म-भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
हिindeed/for
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
वासुदेवःVāsudeva (Krishna)
वासुदेवः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
महाबलःmighty/very powerful
महाबलः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootमहाबल (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
पृथिवीearth
पृथिवी:
TypeNoun
Rootपृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
वायुःwind/air
वायुः:
TypeNoun
Rootवायु (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
आकाशम्space/ether
आकाशम्:
TypeNoun
Rootआकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
आपःwaters
आपः:
TypeNoun
Rootअप् (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
ज्योतिःlight/fire
ज्योतिः:
TypeNoun
Rootज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
पञ्चमम्the fifth
पञ्चमम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootपञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaV
VāsudevaCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
That Vāsudeva is immanent as the inner Self of all beings and is identified with the fundamental constituents of the cosmos; this vision supports dharma by encouraging reverence, restraint, and compassion toward all life.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues his discourse to Yudhiṣṭhira, praising and defining Vāsudeva in metaphysical terms—describing him as the indwelling self and as encompassing the great elements.