Shloka 15
एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline
तस्मान्मे संशयं छिन्धि परं कौतूहलं हि मे । त्वं हि सर्वकथारामस्त्वां चैवोपाश्रिता वयम्
tasmān me saṁśayaṁ chindhi paraṁ kautūhalaṁ hi me | tvaṁ hi sarvakathārāmas tvāṁ caivopāśritā vayam, bharataśreṣṭha |
«Por tanto, disipa mi duda, pues en mí ha surgido una gran curiosidad. Tú te deleitas en toda enseñanza sagrada, y nosotros nos hemos amparado en ti, oh mejor de los Bharata. En las escrituras se describen las señales de quienes quedan libres de este mundo—y tú has descrito a los habitantes de Śvetadvīpa de la misma manera. De ahí mi incertidumbre; te ruego que la apartes, porque anhelo comprender.»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A sincere seeker should openly present doubt (saṁśaya) and request its removal from a qualified guide. The verse emphasizes disciplined inquiry grounded in śāstra (scriptural criteria) and the importance of clarifying apparent equivalences—here, between the scriptural marks of liberation and the described qualities of Śvetadvīpa’s residents.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses the elder teacher (contextually Bhīṣma in Śānti Parva), noting that the traits he has heard for liberated persons match those attributed to the inhabitants of Śvetadvīpa. This creates a doctrinal puzzle, so he asks for a clear resolution, declaring his eagerness and dependence on the teacher’s guidance.