Shloka 19

कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः

Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma

Devanagari script

एष कर्ता विकर्ता च भूतात्मा भूतकृत्‌ प्रभु: । अचिन्त्यं महदाश्चर्य पवित्रमिति चोच्यते

Transliteration

eṣa kartā vikartā ca bhūtātmā bhūtakṛt prabhuḥ | acintyaṃ mahad āścaryaṃ pavitram iti cocyate

Translation

毗舍婆耶那说道：“他既是作者，亦是裁制者（能转变并敕定诸果）；是众生之内我，是众生之造者，是自在的主宰。人们称他为不可思议、至大奇妙、并能净化一切的圣者。”

Word by Word

एषःthis (one), he

कर्ताdoer, creator

विकर्ताmodifier, transformer

चand

भूतात्माthe self/soul of beings

भूतकृत्maker/creator of beings

प्रभुःlord, master

अचिन्त्यम्unthinkable, inconceivable

महत्great

आश्चर्यम्wonder, marvel

पवित्रम्pure, purifying

इतिthus, as

चalso, and

उच्यतेis said, is called

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents the Supreme as both the active agent (creator/doer) and the one who reshapes and governs outcomes, immanent as the Self in all beings yet transcendent as an inconceivable, wondrous, and purifying Lord—inviting reverence and ethical alignment with a higher cosmic order.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a description is being given of the supreme divine principle—identified through epithets such as creator, indwelling Self, and sovereign—emphasizing its incomprehensibility and sanctifying power within the ongoing Vana Parva discourse.