Nāgendra–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda: Praśna-vidhi and Dharmic Approach on the Gomatī Riverbank
भगवान् केशव ब्रह्मा आदि देवताओं, सम्पूर्ण लोकों, महात्मा-ऋषियों, सांख्यवेत्ताओं, योगियों और आत्मज्ञानी यतियोंके मनकी बातें भी जानते हैं; परंतु उनके मनमें क्या है? यह उनमेंसे किसीको पता नहीं है ।।
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | bhagavān keśavo brahmā ādi-devatāḥ sampūrṇāṃl lokān mahātmā-ṛṣīn sāṅkhya-vettṝn yoginaś cātmajñānī yatināṃ ca manāṃsi jānāti; kintu tasya manasi kiṃ vartate? etad eṣāṃ madhye kasya cid api na viditam || ye kecit sarva-lokeṣu daivaṃ pitryaṃ ca kurvanti | dānāni ca prayacchanti tapyante ca tapo mahat | teṣāṃ sarveṣāṃ āśrayo bhagavān viṣṇur eva | sa aiśvarya-yoge sthitaḥ | sarva-prāṇi-nivāsa-sthānatvād ‘vāsudeva’ iti kathyate ||
毗舍摩耶那说:圣者克舍婆知晓梵天与上古诸天、诸世界、伟大圣仙、通达数论者、瑜伽行者以及自知真我之苦行者的心念;然而祂自己心中所怀者——他们之中无一能知。凡世间有人为诸天行祭,为祖先行施罗陀祭,布施财物,修行大苦行者——终究皆依止于毗湿奴主。祂安住于自在主宰之瑜伽,又为一切众生之所依居,故名“婆苏提婆”。
वैशग्पायन उवाच
All religious acts—sacrifice to the gods, ancestral rites, charity, and austerity—derive their ultimate efficacy and support from Viṣṇu/Vāsudeva. Even the highest beings and sages may be known by Him, yet His own inner will remains beyond their grasp, underscoring divine transcendence and the need for taking refuge in the Supreme.
In the didactic flow of Śānti Parva, Vaiśaṃpāyana reports a theological reflection that elevates Keśava/Viṣṇu as the hidden ground of all virtuous practices and spiritual disciplines, explaining why He is called Vāsudeva—because all beings dwell in Him.