Shloka 41
धर्मद्वारबहुत्वविमर्शः — Reflection on the Many ‘Doors’ of Dharma (Śānti-parva 342)
छादयामि जगदू विश्व भूत्वा सूर्य इवांशुभि: । सर्वभूताधिवास श्च वासुदेवस्ततो हाहम्
chādayāmi jagad viśvaṃ bhūtvā sūrya ivāṃśubhiḥ | sarvabhūtādhivāsaś ca vāsudevas tato hāham ||
Indem ich die Gestalt der Sonne annehme, durchdringe und bedecke ich das ganze Universum mit meinen Strahlen; und ich bin auch die bleibende Wohnstatt aller Wesen. Darum werde ich Vāsudeva genannt—der alles durchwaltet und in dem alle Geschöpfe ihre Wohnung finden.
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches divine immanence: the Supreme pervades the cosmos like the sun’s rays and is the inner abode/support of all beings; the name “Vāsudeva” is justified by this all-pervading, all-containing nature.
In the Shānti Parva’s doctrinal discourse, a speaker explains the cosmic identity and significance of Vāsudeva, using the sun-and-rays analogy to describe how the divine permeates the universe and serves as the dwelling-place of all creatures.