Shloka 43
Adhyāya 325: Nārada in Śvetadvīpa—Stotra to the Nirguṇa Mahātman
ततो मुहूर्तादुत्थाय कृत्वा शौचमनन्तरम्
tato muhūrtād utthāya kṛtvā śaucam anantaram | tadānantaraṃ yadā dve ghaṭī rātrau avaśiṣṭe, tadā brahmavelāyāṃ sa punaḥ utthitaḥ; śauca-snānaṃ kṛtvā paścāt buddhimān śukadevaḥ punar api paramātma-dhyāne eva nimagnaḥ abhavat | tasmin kāle api tāḥ sundaryaḥ striyaḥ taṃ parivārya upaviṣṭāḥ āsan |
Bhishma dit : Puis, après un court moment, il se leva et accomplit la purification requise. Plus tard, lorsqu’il ne restait que deux ghaṭīs de la nuit—à l’heure sacrée du brahma-muhūrta—il s’éveilla de nouveau ; et, après s’être purifié et baigné, le sage Śukadeva se replongea dans la méditation du Soi suprême. Même alors, ces belles femmes étaient assises autour de lui, l’encerclant.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined spiritual life: rising at brahma-muhūrta, maintaining purity (śauca and snāna), and steady absorption in meditation on the Supreme Self, remaining unmoved even when surrounded by sensory temptations.
Śukadeva wakes again near the end of the night, performs purification and bathing, and returns to deep meditation on Paramātman; despite beautiful women sitting around him, he remains focused and undistracted.