Shloka 17
Vasiṣṭha on Saṃsāra, Guṇas, and Misattributed Agency
Mahābhārata 12.292
एते महर्षय: स्तुत्वा विष्णुमृग्भि: समाहिता: । लेभिरे तपसा सिद्धि प्रसादात् तस्य धीमत:
ete maharṣayaḥ stutvā viṣṇum ṛgbhiḥ samāhitāḥ | lebhire tapasā siddhiṃ prasādāt tasya dhīmataḥ ||
Wika ni Parāśara: “Ang mga dakilang rishi na yaon, matapos purihin si Viṣṇu sa pamamagitan ng mga himnong Veda habang ang isip ay ganap na nakatuon, ay nagkamit ng siddhi sa pamamagitan ng tapas—sa mapagpalang kalooban ng marunong na Panginoon. (Kabilang sa kanila) sina Asita, Devala, Nārada, Parvata, Kakṣīvān, si Paraśurāma na anak ni Jamadagni, si Tāṇḍya na sinasabing may paghahari sa isip, si Vasiṣṭha, Jamadagni, Viśvāmitra, Atri, Bharadvāja, Hariśmaśru, Kuṇḍadhāra, at Śrutaśravā.”
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Austerity (tapas) becomes truly fruitful when joined with focused devotion and Vedic praise; the decisive factor behind siddhi is the Lord’s prasāda (grace), not mere personal effort alone.
Parāśara lists renowned ṛṣis and states that they worshiped Viṣṇu with Ṛgvedic hymns in deep concentration, and through that devotion and their austerities they attained spiritual success by Viṣṇu’s favor.