Shloka 163
Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment
Parāśara’s Instruction
यः: सहस्राण्यनेकानि पुंसामावृत्य दुर्देश: । तिष्ठत्येक: समुद्रान्ते स मे गोप्तास्तु नित्यश:
yaḥ sahasrāṇy anekāni puṁsām āvṛtya durdeśaḥ | tiṣṭhaty ekaḥ samudrānte sa me goptāstu nityaśaḥ ||
Bhishma berkata: Semoga Yang Esa itu—yang dengan menyelubungi fikiran manusia yang tidak terbilang banyaknya menjadikan-Nya sukar difahami; yang berdiri sendirian, tiada bandingan; dan yang menzahirkan diri tatkala segala keinginan mencapai penghujungnya, laksana pesisir jauh lautan—sentiasa menjadi pelindungku.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents the Lord as ultimately one and incomparable, yet difficult to grasp because beings are veiled by māyā/ignorance; true clarity arises when desire is brought to an end, and devotion seeks divine protection.
In Śānti Parva, Bhishma instructs on dharma and higher truths; here he utters a devotional invocation, asking the incomprehensible yet singular Lord—revealed when cravings subside—to protect him continually.