Shloka 15
इन्द्र–बलि संवादः
The Dialogue of Indra and Bali on Fortune, Humility, and Restraint
लिप्सेत मनसा यश्न संकल्पादैश्वरं गुणम् । आत्मप्रसादं तं विद्यात् सर्वा ह्वात्मनि देवता:,जो योगी मनके द्वारा संकल्पसे ही ईश्वरीय गुणको पाना चाहता है, वह उस आत्मप्रसादको प्राप्त कर लेता है; क्योंकि सम्पूर्ण देवता आत्मामें ही स्थित हैं
lipsen manasā yaś ca saṅkalpād aiśvaraṃ guṇam | ātmaprasādaṃ taṃ vidyāt sarvā hy ātmani devatāḥ ||
Bhishma said: Whoever, by the power of the mind, seeks to attain the divine quality through mere resolve should be understood to gain inner clarity and grace (ātma-prasāda). For all the gods are indeed established within the Self.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Divine excellence is attained through inner resolve and mental discipline; the resulting ātma-prasāda (inner clarity/grace) arises because the divine powers are rooted within the Self rather than being merely external objects of pursuit.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and spiritual practice, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira, emphasizing inward realization: the seeker who aims at divine qualities through firm intention gains serenity of the Self, since the deities are said to abide in the ātman.