Shloka 40
नारायणीयमाख्यानम् (Nārāyaṇīyam Ākhyānam) — Nārada’s Return and Hymnic Consolidation
इति जन्म गतिश्वैव शुकस्य भरतर्षभ । विस्तरेण समाख्याता यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि,भरतश्रेष्ठ युधिष्ठिर! तुम मुझसे जिसके विषयमें पूछ रहे थे, वह शुकदेवजीके जन्म और परमपद-प्राप्तिकी कथा मैंने तुम्हें विस्तारसे सुनायी है
iti janma gatiś caiva śukasya bharatarṣabha | vistareṇa samākhyātā yan māṃ tvaṃ paripṛcchasi || bharataśreṣṭha yudhiṣṭhira |
Bhīṣma said: “Thus, O bull among the Bharatas, I have explained in detail the birth and the onward course (destiny and final attainment) of Śuka—exactly as you asked me. O best of the Bharatas, Yudhiṣṭhira, I have narrated at length the account of Śukadeva’s birth and his reaching the supreme state.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse functions as a formal closure: Bhīṣma emphasizes faithful transmission of a spiritual exemplar’s life—Śuka’s birth and ultimate ‘gati’ (final attainment). Ethically, it underscores attentive inquiry by the student and complete, orderly instruction by the teacher, with liberation (parama-pada) as the highest human goal.
After Yudhiṣṭhira’s question, Bhīṣma concludes his detailed narration about Śukadeva—summarizing that he has explained both Śuka’s origin and his final spiritual destination, addressing Yudhiṣṭhira with honorific epithets.