Shloka 8
रसातल-वर्णनम्
Rasātala Description: Surabhi, Phenapāḥ, and the Directional Cows
दैवतं विष्णुरेतेषां विष्णुरेव परायणम् । ह्ृदि चैषां सदा विष्णुर्विष्णुरेव सदा गति:,भगवान् विष्णु ही इनके देवता हैं। वे ही इनके परम आश्रय हैं। भगवान् विष्णु इनके हृदयमें सदा विराजते हैं और वे विष्णु ही सदा इनकी गति हैं
daivataṁ viṣṇur eteṣāṁ viṣṇur eva parāyaṇam | hṛdi caiṣāṁ sadā viṣṇur viṣṇur eva sadā gatiḥ ||
Nārada declares that for these people Viṣṇu is the very deity they worship and the highest refuge they rely upon. Viṣṇu abides constantly in their hearts, and it is Viṣṇu alone who remains their unfailing goal and guiding course—signaling a dharmic ideal in which inner devotion and ultimate dependence are placed in the divine rather than in mere power or circumstance.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches exclusive reliance on the divine: Viṣṇu is presented as deity, highest refuge, indwelling presence, and ultimate destination. Ethically, it frames right orientation (dharma) as grounded in inner devotion and surrender rather than external advantage.
Nārada is speaking and characterizing a group (“these people”) by their spiritual allegiance: he emphasizes that their worship, trust, inner contemplation, and final aim are centered on Viṣṇu alone, underscoring their devotional identity within the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war counsel and evaluations.