Shloka 18
दैव–पुरुषकार-प्रश्नः
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Inquiry: Fate and Human Effort
येन लोकास्त्रय: सृष्टा दैत्या: सर्वाश्व देवता: । स एष भगवान् विष्णु: समुद्रे तप्पते तप:,जिन्होंने तीनों लोकों, दैत्यों तथा सम्पूर्ण देवताओंकी भी सृष्टि की है, वे ही ये भगवान् विष्णु समुद्रमें रहकर तपस्या करते हैं
yena lokās trayaḥ sṛṣṭā daityāḥ sarvāś ca devatāḥ | sa eṣa bhagavān viṣṇuḥ samudre tapyate tapaḥ ||
Der, durch den die drei Welten erschaffen wurden — samt den Daityas und allen Göttern — der ist wahrlich der erhabene Herr Viṣṇu. Eben dieser Viṣṇu weilt im Ozean und übt Askese (tapas).
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse affirms Viṣṇu as the ultimate creator of all realms and beings—gods and Daityas alike—and highlights that even supreme divinity is characterized by tapas: disciplined restraint and purposeful spiritual effort, a key ethical ideal in dharma literature.
Bhīṣma is describing Viṣṇu’s cosmic status and conduct: the same Lord who created the three worlds and all divine and anti-divine beings is said to dwell in the ocean and engage in austerities, emphasizing his transcendence and exemplary self-discipline.