Mahabharata · 2.11.17–18
॥
Devanāgarī
चन्द्रमाः सह नक्षत्रैर् आदित्यश् च गभस्तिमान् ॥
वायवः क्रतवश् चैव संकल्पः प्राण एव च ॥
एते चान्ये च बहवः स्वयंभुवम् उपस्थिताः ॥
अर्थो धर्मश् च कामश् च हर्षो द्वेषस् तपो दमः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
candramāḥ saha nakṣatrair ādityaś ca gabhastimān ||
vāyavaḥ kratavaś caiva saṃkalpaḥ prāṇa eva ca ||
ete cānye ca bahavaḥ svayaṃbhuvam upasthitāḥ ||
artho dharmaś ca kāmaś ca harṣo dveṣas tapo damaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
चन्द्रमाः सह नक्षत्रैःcandramāḥ saha nakṣatraiḥthe moon with the stars,
आदित्यः च गभस्ति-मान्ādityaḥ ca gabhasti-mānand the radiant Sun,
वायवः क्रतवः च एवvāyavaḥ kratavaḥ ca evathe winds, the sacrifices,
संकल्पः प्राणः एव चsaṃkalpaḥ prāṇaḥ eva ca[Resolve]-Sankalpa and Prana [breath];
एते च अन्ये च बहवःete ca anye ca bahavaḥthese and many others
स्वयंभुवम् उपस्थिताःsvayaṃbhuvam upasthitāḥstand before the Self-Existent;
अर्थः धर्मः च कामः चarthaḥ dharmaḥ ca kāmaḥ caArtha, Dharma and Kama,
हर्षः द्वेषः तपः दमःharṣaḥ dveṣaḥ tapaḥ damaḥJoy, Hatred, Austerity, Self-Restraint;
नक्षत्रैर्nakṣatrairoriginal form "nakṣatrair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आदित्यश्ādityaśoriginal form "ādityaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गभस्तिमान्gabhastimānoriginal form "gabhastimān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
क्रतवश्kratavaśoriginal form "kratavaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चैवcaivaoriginal form "caiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्राणprāṇaoriginal form "prāṇa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चान्येcānyeoriginal form "cānye", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अर्थोarthooriginal form "artho", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धर्मश्dharmaśoriginal form "dharmaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कामश्kāmaśoriginal form "kāmaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हर्षोharṣooriginal form "harṣo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
द्वेषस्dveṣasoriginal form "dveṣas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तपोtapooriginal form "tapo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"The moon with the stars and the radiant Sun, the winds, the sacrifices, Resolve and Breath; these and many others stand before the Self-Existent; Artha, Dharma and Kama, Joy, Hatred, Austerity, Self-Restraint."
Version
1f2a7594a964 · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:13:23 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here even opposites stand before the Creator — Joy and Hatred, Austerity and passion. It is telling that all powers, benign and fearsome alike, converge at the Source: nothing lies beyond the Creator's knowledge and rule. So the text reveals that even contending principles are held by the One; and next come the gandharvas and guardians of the worlds.