Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 18
भीष्मस्योत्तरायणप्रतीक्षा तथा युधिष्ठिरागमनम् | Bhīṣma’s uttarāyaṇa moment and Yudhiṣṭhira’s arrival
योगमाय: सहस्राक्षो निरपायो महामना: । वीरो मित्रजनश्लाघी ज्ञातिबन्धुजनप्रिय:
yogamāyaḥ sahasrākṣo nirapāyo mahāmanāḥ | vīro mitrajanaślāghī jñātibandhujanapriyaḥ ||
Īśvara said: “He is endowed with yogic power, thousand-eyed, and free from peril; great-souled and heroic. He delights in honoring his friends, and he is beloved of his kinsmen and relatives.”
ईश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse praises an ideal, divinely empowered protector: courageous, magnanimous, secure from harm, appreciative of friends, and beloved among kin—suggesting that true greatness combines power with loyalty, gratitude, and benevolence.
Īśvara is describing (in laudatory terms) the qualities of a revered figure, emphasizing divine capability (yogamāyā), all-seeing oversight (sahasrākṣa), and social-ethical virtues—especially steadfast friendship and familial affection.