Shloka 1
Nāga-āyatana-darśana-pratīkṣā — The Brāhmaṇa’s Request and Waiting on the Gomatī
शौनकने कहा--सूतनन्दन! आपने यह बहुत बड़ा आख्यान सुनाया है। इसे सुनकर समस्त ऋषियोंको बड़ा आश्चर्य हुआ है,इस प्रकार श्रीमहाभारत शान्तिपर्वके अन्तर्गत गोक्षधर्मपर्वमें नाययणकी महिमाविषयक तीन सौ तैतालीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ ॥/ ३४३ ॥। पम्प बछ। आर: चतुश्नत्वारिशर्दाधिकत्रिशततमो< ध्याय: नर-नारायणका नारदजीकी प्रशंसा करते हुए उन्हें भगवान् वासुदेवका माहात्म्य बतलाना नरनारायणावूचत॒: धन्यो<स्यनुगृहीतो $सि यत् ते दृष्ट: स्वयं प्रभु: । नहितं दृष्टवान् कश्चित् पद्मययोनिरपि स्वयम्
śaunaka uvāca—sūtanandana! āpne idaṃ bahut baṛā ākhyāna sunāyā hai. ise sunkar samasta ṛṣiyoṃ ko baṛā āścarya huā hai. iti śrīmahābhārate śāntiparvaṇi antargate mokṣadharmaparvaṇi nārāyaṇakī mahimāviṣayakaḥ trayaḥ-śata-tricatuvāriṃśattamo 'dhyāyaḥ samāptaḥ. (343) ||
Śaunaka said: “O son of Sūta, you have narrated a truly great legend. Hearing it, all the sages have been filled with wonder.” Thus ends, in the Śānti Parva of the Mahābhārata, within the Mokṣa-dharma section, the three-hundred-and-forty-third chapter concerning the glory of Nārāyaṇa.
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse functions as a framing closure: it highlights the elevating power of sacred narration and signals that contemplation of Nārāyaṇa’s glory inspires awe and reverence—an ethical-spiritual orientation central to Mokṣa-dharma.
Śaunaka, leading the sages, responds to the reciter (Sauti), expressing amazement at the great account just heard and marking the completion of the preceding chapter on Nārāyaṇa’s greatness.