Adhyāya 123 — Droṇa’s Pedagogy: Arjuna’s Preeminence, Ekalavya’s Self-Training, and the Bhāsa-Lakṣya Trial
तांश्व देवगणान् सर्वास्तप:सिद्धा महर्षय: । विमानगिर्यग्रगतान् ददृशुर्नेतरे जना:,वे सब देवगण विमान और पर्वतके शिखरपर खड़े थे। उन्हें तप:सिद्ध महर्षि ही देख पाते थे, दूसरे लोग नहीं
tāṁś ca devagaṇān sarvās tapaḥsiddhā maharṣayaḥ | vimānagiryagragatān dadṛśur netare janāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Para dewa itu berdiri di barisan hadapan, di atas vimāna (kenderaan langit) dan di puncak-puncak gunung; hanya para maharṣi yang sempurna oleh tapa dapat melihat mereka, sedangkan orang kebanyakan tidak mampu memandangnya.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Spiritual perception is presented as dependent on inner qualification: those perfected by tapas can perceive divine realities that remain inaccessible to ordinary sense-bound observers.
The narrator states that the assembled gods, positioned on celestial vehicles and mountain summits, were seen by austerity-accomplished sages, while other people present could not see them.