Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 42
तेन विश्व कृतमेतद्धि राजन् स जीवयत्यात्मनैवात्मयोनि: । ततो देवानसुरान् मानवांश्न 23064 “३६ ९०.३ [ प्रजाश्न । समासेन त् सर्वान् सदा भूतपति: सिसृक्षु:
tena viśva-kṛtam etad dhi rājan sa jīvayaty ātmanāivātma-yoniḥ | tato devān asurān mānavāṁś ca prajāś ca | samāsena tu sarvān sadā bhūta-patiḥ sisṛkṣuḥ ||
Bhishma said: O king, by Him this entire universe has been brought forth; and that Self-born Lord (Atmayoni) sustains all beings by His own power. From Him life and support flow to gods, asuras, humans, and all creatures. In brief, the Lord of beings ever wills, in due order, the creation and continuance of all that lives.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
All beings—gods, asuras, humans, and every creature—derive their existence and vitality from a single self-born, self-sustaining Lord. Recognizing this unity supports dharma: reverence toward the source of life and ethical responsibility toward all beings as participants in one cosmic order.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma addresses the king (Yudhishthira) and explains a theological-cosmological point: the supreme Lord created the universe and continually sustains all classes of beings, ever intending the orderly creation and continuation of life.