Shloka 58
Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
लोकानां स हि सर्वेषां ससुरासुररक्षसाम् । समनुष्योरगवतां कर्ता चैव स भूतकृत्
lokānāṃ sa hi sarveṣāṃ sasurāsurarakṣasām | samanuṣyoragavatāṃ kartā caiva sa bhūtakṛt ||
Bhishma berkata: Dialah pencipta segala dunia dan segala makhluk—para dewa, asura dan rākṣasa; juga manusia dan ular. Dialah sumber tempat makhluk-makhluk muncul, pencipta sejagat yang menghadirkan segala yang bernyawa ke alam wujud.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse affirms a single supreme source as the universal creator: all realms and all classes of beings—divine, demonic, human, and serpent—arise from Him. Ethically, it supports a vision of unity and accountability under one cosmic order (dharma).
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right understanding. Here he emphasizes the supremacy and creative sovereignty of the ultimate being, framing moral and social order within a larger cosmic origin.