Shloka 93
Nāgendra–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda: Praśna-vidhi and Dharmic Approach on the Gomatī Riverbank
भगवान् केशव ब्रह्मा आदि देवताओं, सम्पूर्ण लोकों, महात्मा-ऋषियों, सांख्यवेत्ताओं, योगियों और आत्मज्ञानी यतियोंके मनकी बातें भी जानते हैं; परंतु उनके मनमें क्या है? यह उनमेंसे किसीको पता नहीं है ।। ये केचित् सर्वलोकेषु दैवं पित्र्यं च कुर्वते । दानानि च प्रयच्छन्ति तप्यन्ते च तपो महत्,समस्त विश्वमें जो कोई देवताओंके लिये यज्ञ और पितरोंके लिये श्राद्ध करते हैं, दान देते हैं और बड़ी भारी तपस्या करते हैं, उन सबके आश्रय भगवान् विष्णु ही हैं। वे अपने ऐश्वर्ययोगमें स्थित रहते हैं। सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंके आवासस्थान होनेके कारण वे “वासुदेव" कहे जाते हैं
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | bhagavān keśavo brahmā ādi-devatāḥ sampūrṇāṃl lokān mahātmā-ṛṣīn sāṅkhya-vettṝn yoginaś cātmajñānī yatināṃ ca manāṃsi jānāti; kintu tasya manasi kiṃ vartate? etad eṣāṃ madhye kasya cid api na viditam || ye kecit sarva-lokeṣu daivaṃ pitryaṃ ca kurvanti | dānāni ca prayacchanti tapyante ca tapo mahat | teṣāṃ sarveṣāṃ āśrayo bhagavān viṣṇur eva | sa aiśvarya-yoge sthitaḥ | sarva-prāṇi-nivāsa-sthānatvād ‘vāsudeva’ iti kathyate ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: The Blessed Keśava knows the thoughts of Brahmā and the primeval gods, of all worlds, of great-souled seers, of the knowers of Sāṅkhya, of yogins, and of self-knowing ascetics; yet what is in His own mind—this no one among them can know. Whoever in the whole world performs sacrifices for the gods and rites for the ancestors, gives gifts, and undertakes great austerities—all of them ultimately rest upon Lord Viṣṇu. Abiding in the yoga of sovereignty, and being the dwelling-place of all beings, He is therefore called “Vāsudeva.”
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
All religious acts—sacrifice to the gods, ancestral rites, charity, and austerity—derive their ultimate efficacy and support from Viṣṇu/Vāsudeva. Even the highest beings and sages may be known by Him, yet His own inner will remains beyond their grasp, underscoring divine transcendence and the need for taking refuge in the Supreme.
In the didactic flow of Śānti Parva, Vaiśaṃpāyana reports a theological reflection that elevates Keśava/Viṣṇu as the hidden ground of all virtuous practices and spiritual disciplines, explaining why He is called Vāsudeva—because all beings dwell in Him.