Shloka 13
Adhyāya 325: Nārada in Śvetadvīpa—Stotra to the Nirguṇa Mahātman
सगिरीक्षाप्यतिक्रम्य नदीतीर्थसरांसि च । बहुव्यालमृगाकीर्णा हाटवीश्व वनानि च
sa-girīkṣāpy atikramya nadī-tīrtha-sarāṁsi ca | bahu-vyāla-mṛgākīrṇā hāṭavīś ca vanāni ca ||
Bhishma dit : Ayant franchi des chaînes de montagnes et des passages rudes, ainsi que des rivières, des gués sacrés et des lacs, ils cheminèrent à travers de nombreuses forêts, épaisses de serpents et de bêtes sauvages. Surmontant ces obstacles l’un après l’autre, ils traversèrent les régions de Meru (Ilāvṛta), de Hari-varṣa et le pays neigeux de Haimavata (Kimpuruṣa), puis atteignirent enfin Bhārata-varṣa.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness and disciplined perseverance: even when the path is filled with natural dangers and hardships, one who is committed to a higher purpose (dharma, pilgrimage, or duty) proceeds step by step, crossing obstacles without yielding to fear or fatigue.
Bhishma describes a long, arduous journey: the travelers cross mountains, rivers, sacred fords, and lakes, pass through forests crowded with serpents and wild animals, and then move through the mythic regions associated with Meru—Ilavrita, Hari-varsha, and the snowy Haimavata/Kimpurusha tract—before reaching Bharata-varsha.