Shloka 18
दैव–पुरुषकार-प्रश्नः
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Inquiry: Fate and Human Effort
येन लोकास्त्रय: सृष्टा दैत्या: सर्वाश्व देवता: । स एष भगवान् विष्णु: समुद्रे तप्पते तप:
yena lokās trayaḥ sṛṣṭā daityāḥ sarvāś ca devatāḥ | sa eṣa bhagavān viṣṇuḥ samudre tapyate tapaḥ ||
Đấng đã tạo dựng ba cõi—cùng các Daitya và toàn thể chư thiên—chính là Đức Thế Tôn Viṣṇu. Và chính Viṣṇu ấy ngự trong đại dương mà thực hành khổ hạnh (tapas).
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse affirms Viṣṇu as the ultimate creator of all realms and beings—gods and Daityas alike—and highlights that even supreme divinity is characterized by tapas: disciplined restraint and purposeful spiritual effort, a key ethical ideal in dharma literature.
Bhīṣma is describing Viṣṇu’s cosmic status and conduct: the same Lord who created the three worlds and all divine and anti-divine beings is said to dwell in the ocean and engage in austerities, emphasizing his transcendence and exemplary self-discipline.