अप्रमेयो हृषीकेश: पद्मनाभो5मरप्र भु: । विश्वकर्मा मनुस्त्वष्टा स्थविष्ठ: स्थविरो ध्रुव:
aprameyo hṛṣīkeśaḥ padmanābho 'maraprabhuḥ | viśvakarmā manus tvaṣṭā sthaviṣṭhaḥ sthaviro dhruvaḥ ||
Bhishma berkata: Ia tak terukur—Hrishikesha, Penguasa indria; Padmanabha, yang di pusarnya bersemayam teratai, sumber jagat raya; Tuhan para makhluk abadi. Ia adalah Vishvakarman, arsitek kosmis; Manu, leluhur dan pemberi tatanan; Tvashtri, daya yang membentuk dan pada saat pralaya melemahkan seluruh makhluk. Ia yang paling agung, paling purba, dan teguh tak tergoyahkan.
भीष्म उवाच
The verse teaches contemplation of the Supreme through layered divine names: the Lord is beyond measurement, governs the senses, is the cosmic source, rules the gods, creates and orders the world (Viśvakarmā/Manu), and remains ancient and unshakably constant (dhruva). Remembering these attributes supports dharma by anchoring the mind in a stable, higher order.
Bhīṣma is reciting a sequence of divine epithets in praise of Viṣṇu (often aligned with Kṛṣṇa), presenting theological identifications—creator, lawgiver, cosmic sustainer/dissolver—within his instruction on dharma and devotion in the Anuśāsana Parva.