Shloka 142
विश्वेश्वरमजं देव॑ जगत: प्रभवाप्ययम् । भजन्ति ये पुष्कराक्षं न ते यान्ति पराभवम्
viśveśvaram ajaṃ devaṃ jagataḥ prabhavāpyayam | bhajanti ye puṣkarākṣaṃ na te yānti parābhavam ||
Bhīṣma said: Those who worship Vishnu—the unborn divine Lord of all, the source and dissolution of the world, the lotus-eyed protector—never fall into defeat.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Worship and reliance upon Vishnu—the unborn Lord who governs the world’s arising and dissolution—protects a person from parābhava (defeat/downfall), implying that devotion grounded in dharma yields steadiness, protection, and enduring success.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction setting, Bhishma continues his teachings by praising Vishnu’s supreme status and assuring Yudhishthira that devotees who take refuge in the lotus-eyed Lord do not meet with defeat.