Shloka 27
Nāga–Nāgabhāryā Saṃvāda: Varṇa-Dharma, Gṛhastha-Discipline, and Mokṣa-Self-Inquiry
Mahābhārata 12.347
कर्मणा मनसा वाचा विष्णुमेव यजन्ति ते । अन्तर्गत: स भगवान् सर्वसत्त्वशरीरग:
karmaṇā manasā vācā viṣṇum eva yajanti te | antargataḥ sa bhagavān sarvasattvaśarīragaḥ ||
Nārada said: Those who worship through deed, thought, and speech are in truth worshipping Viṣṇu alone. For that Blessed Lord abides within, present as the indwelling Self in the bodies of all living beings.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
True worship is not limited to ritual; honoring beings and duties with mind, speech, and action is ultimately worship of Viṣṇu, because the Lord dwells as the inner Self in all creatures.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Nārada explains a unifying vision of devotion: acts of reverence directed toward socially and spiritually significant recipients (devas, ancestors, teachers, guests, mother, etc.) reach Viṣṇu, who is present within all as the indweller.