Mahabharata
Yāna-saṃdhi (069) (Conversations about Peace and War, Chapters 46-70)5.69.6-7
4476 / 15823
Mahabharata · 5.69.6-7
Devanāgarī

सहस्रशीर्षं पुरुषं पुराणम्; अनादिमध्यान्तम् अनन्तकीर्तिम् ॥
शुक्रस्य धातारम् अजं जनित्रं; परं परेभ्यः शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥
त्रैलोक्यनिर्माणकरं जनित्रं; देवासुराणाम् अथ नागरक्षसाम् ॥
नराधिपानां विदुषां प्रधानम्; इन्द्रानुजं तं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

sahasraśīrṣaṃ puruṣaṃ purāṇam; anādimadhyāntam anantakīrtim ||
śukrasya dhātāram ajaṃ janitraṃ; paraṃ parebhyaḥ śaraṇaṃ prapadye ||
trailokyanirmāṇakaraṃ janitraṃ; devāsurāṇām atha nāgarakṣasām ||
narādhipānāṃ viduṣāṃ pradhānam; indrānujaṃ taṃ śaraṇaṃ prapadye ||

Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सहस्रशीर्षंsahasraśīrṣaṃthousand-headed; with a thousand heads
पुरुषंpuruṣaṃthe person; the man
पुराणम्purāṇamancient; eternal
अनादिमध्यान्तम्anādimadhyāntamwithout beginning, middle, or end; having no beginning, middle, or ending
अनन्तकीर्तिम्anantakīrtimof endless glory; of boundless renown
शुक्रस्यśukrasyaof Shukra; of the bright one
धातारम्dhātāramthe creator; the sustainer
अजंajaṃunborn; beginningless
जनित्रंjanitraṃthe progenitor; the source of birth
परंparaṃsupreme; highest
परेभ्यःparebhyaḥfrom adversaries; from others
शरणंśaraṇaṃrefuge; shelter
प्रपद्येprapadyeI take refuge; I surrender
त्रैलोक्यनिर्माणकरंtrailokyanirmāṇakaraṃthe maker of the three worlds; the creator of the three worlds
जनित्रंjanitraṃthe progenitor; the source of birth
देवासुराणाम्devāsurāṇāmof gods and asuras; of celestials and demons
अथathathen; or indeed
नागरक्षसाम्nāgarakṣasāmof nagas and rakshasas; of serpents and demons
नराधिपानांnarādhipānāṃof the lords of men; of kings
विदुषांviduṣāṃof the wise; of the learned
प्रधानम्pradhānamthe foremost; the chief
इन्द्रानुजंindrānujaṃthe younger brother of Indra; Upendra
तंtaṃthat one; him
शरणंśaraṇaṃrefuge; shelter
प्रपद्येprapadyeI take refuge; I surrender
Translation

Vyasa said: "Listen to me, O king! You, O Dhritarashtra, are beloved of Krishna. When Sanjaya is your envoy, he will indeed lead you to your own good. He knows Hrishikesha, the ancient and exalted one. If you listen to him with attention, he will surely save you from the great danger looming over you. O son of Vichitravirya, men are subject to anger and joy. Entangled in various snares, deprived of reason by greed and desire, they repeatedly fall prey to Death through their own actions, like blind men falling into pits when led by the blind. The path the sages walk is the one and only path — the path that leads to Brahman." Dhritarashtra said: "Tell me, O Sanjaya, of that path free from terrors, by which, having attained Hrishikesha, I might obtain salvation." Sanjaya said: "A man of uncontrolled mind can in no way come to know Janardana, whose soul rests under perfect control. Performing sacrifices without mastery over one's senses is not even a means to that end. Renunciation of the objects that excite our senses comes through spiritual light; and spiritual light, together with abstention from harm, arises without doubt from true wisdom. Therefore, O king, resolve to master your senses with all the energy you possess; let your intellect never turn aside from true knowledge; and hold your heart back from the worldly temptations that surround it. Learned brahmanas call this mastery of the senses true wisdom; and this wisdom is the path by which learned men attain their goal. O king, Keshava is unattainable for those who have not mastered their senses; He is attained through longing for spiritual knowledge, awakened by knowledge of the scriptures and by delight in immersion in sacrifice."

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cd7719e70cec · published Jul 17, 2026, 4:56:09 AM UTC

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