Shloka 93
Nāgendra–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda: Praśna-vidhi and Dharmic Approach on the Gomatī Riverbank
भगवान् केशव ब्रह्मा आदि देवताओं, सम्पूर्ण लोकों, महात्मा-ऋषियों, सांख्यवेत्ताओं, योगियों और आत्मज्ञानी यतियोंके मनकी बातें भी जानते हैं; परंतु उनके मनमें क्या है? यह उनमेंसे किसीको पता नहीं है ।।
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | bhagavān keśavo brahmā ādi-devatāḥ sampūrṇāṃl lokān mahātmā-ṛṣīn sāṅkhya-vettṝn yoginaś cātmajñānī yatināṃ ca manāṃsi jānāti; kintu tasya manasi kiṃ vartate? etad eṣāṃ madhye kasya cid api na viditam || ye kecit sarva-lokeṣu daivaṃ pitryaṃ ca kurvanti | dānāni ca prayacchanti tapyante ca tapo mahat | teṣāṃ sarveṣāṃ āśrayo bhagavān viṣṇur eva | sa aiśvarya-yoge sthitaḥ | sarva-prāṇi-nivāsa-sthānatvād ‘vāsudeva’ iti kathyate ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: Der erhabene Keśava kennt die Gedanken Brahmās und der uranfänglichen Götter, aller Welten, der großgesinnten ṛṣis, der Kenner des Sāṅkhya, der Yogins und der selbstwissenden Asketen; doch was in Seinem eigenen Geist ist—das vermag keiner von ihnen zu wissen. Wer immer in der ganzen Welt Opfer für die Götter darbringt und śrāddha-Riten für die Ahnen vollzieht, Gaben spendet und große Askese übt—sie alle finden letztlich ihren Halt im Herrn Viṣṇu. In der Yoga der Souveränität verweilend und als Wohnstatt aller Wesen, wird Er daher „Vāsudeva“ genannt.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
All religious acts—sacrifice to the gods, ancestral rites, charity, and austerity—derive their ultimate efficacy and support from Viṣṇu/Vāsudeva. Even the highest beings and sages may be known by Him, yet His own inner will remains beyond their grasp, underscoring divine transcendence and the need for taking refuge in the Supreme.
In the didactic flow of Śānti Parva, Vaiśaṃpāyana reports a theological reflection that elevates Keśava/Viṣṇu as the hidden ground of all virtuous practices and spiritual disciplines, explaining why He is called Vāsudeva—because all beings dwell in Him.