Shloka 58
श्रेयो-धर्मकर्मविचारः
Inquiry into Śreyas, Dharma, and Karma
प्रवृत्तमेतद् भगवन् महर्षे महद्युतेश्नक्रमनन्तवीर्यम् । विष्णोरनन्तस्य सनातनं तत् स्थान सर्गा यत्र सर्वे प्रवृत्ता: । स वै महात्मा पुरुषोत्तमो वै तस्मिन् जगत् सर्वमिदं प्रतिष्ठितम्
pravṛttam etad bhagavan maharṣe mahadyuteśnacakram anantavīryam | viṣṇor anantasya sanātanaṃ tat sthānaṃ sargā yatra sarve pravṛttāḥ | sa vai mahātmā puruṣottamo vai tasmin jagat sarvam idaṃ pratiṣṭhitam ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Ô Bienheureux, ô grand voyant à l’éclat puissant : cette vaste roue du monde, sans commencement et douée d’une puissance infinie, se meut par l’action de Vishnu, l’Infini. Telle est sa demeure éternelle, la source d’où s’élancent toutes les créations. Ce Vishnu au grand cœur est véritablement le Puruṣottama, la Personne suprême ; en Lui tout cet univers est établi et soutenu.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the universe and the ongoing cycle of worldly existence operate through the Infinite Vishnu, who is the eternal ground and source of all creation; all reality is ultimately established in the Supreme Person (Puruṣottama).
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on peace and right understanding, Bhishma addresses a revered sage and explains the cosmic foundation: the world’s vast cycle proceeds by Vishnu, whose eternal abode is the origin-point from which all creations emerge, and in whom the whole universe rests.