Shloka 19
Cyavana’s Reconciliation with Indra; Tīrtha-Indexing at Ārcīka-parvata and Yamunā
Chapter 125
शान्तनुश्नात्र राजेन्द्र शुनकश्न नराधिप: । नरनारायणौ चोभौ स्थान प्राप्ताः:सनातनम्,राजेन्द्र! यहाँ राजा शान्तनु, शुनक और नर-नारायण--ये सभी नित्य धाममें गये हैं
Śāntanuś ca nṛpaśārdūla rājendra Śunakaś ca narādhipaḥ | Nara-Nārāyaṇau cobhau sthānaṃ prāptāḥ sanātanam ||
قال لوماشَ: «يا خير الملوك، يا راجيندرا، إنّ الملك شانْتَنو، والحكيم الملكي شوناكا، والقدّيسين الإلهيّين نارا ونارايَنا—قد بلغوا جميعًا المقام الأبدي. إنّ سيرتهم مثالٌ للانتقال من مُلكٍ قائمٍ على البرّ وحكمةِ الزهد إلى الغاية التي لا تبلى.»
लोगमश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that both righteous worldly life (exemplified by a king like Śāntanu) and spiritual excellence (exemplified by sages like Śunaka and the divine pair Nara–Nārāyaṇa) culminate in the same highest end: attainment of the eternal state. It affirms the Mahābhārata’s ethical vision that dharma, when lived with integrity, leads beyond mortality.
Lomaśa, addressing Yudhiṣṭhira with honorifics, lists revered figures—Śāntanu, Śunaka, and Nara–Nārāyaṇa—and declares that they have reached the ‘sanātana’ abode. The statement functions as a consoling and instructive reminder during the forest narrative: great exemplars have already completed their journey to the imperishable goal.