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
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 dit : «Ô fils du Sūta, tu as raconté un récit véritablement grandiose. En l’entendant, tous les sages ont été saisis d’émerveillement.» Ainsi s’achève, dans le Śānti Parva du Mahābhārata, au sein de la section Mokṣa-dharma, le trois-cent-quarante-troisième chapitre consacré à la gloire de 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.