Shloka 14
एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline
ये च मुक्ता भवन्तीह नरा भरतसत्तम | तेषां लक्षणमेतद्धि तच्छवेतद्वीपवासिनाम्
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | ye ca muktā bhavantīha narā bharatasattama | teṣāṃ lakṣaṇam etad dhi tac chvetadvīpavāsinām |
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai yang terbaik di antara keturunan Bharata! Tanda-tanda yang disebutkan kitab-kitab suci bagi manusia yang mencapai pembebasan di dunia ini—tanda-tanda yang sama pula telah engkau sandangkan kepada para penghuni Śvetadvīpa. Karena itu timbul keraguan dalam diriku. Mohon lenyapkan kebimbanganku ini; batinku sangat rindu memahaminya. Engkau menikmati sari dari segala kisah suci, dan kami berlindung padamu.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A genuine seeker tests teachings by comparing them with śāstra: Yudhiṣṭhira notices that the marks of liberation described in scripture match the description of Śvetadvīpa’s inhabitants, and he asks for clarification—modeling careful inquiry, humility, and reliance on a competent guide.
In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses an elder teacher (honored as ‘best of the Bharatas’) and raises a doubt: if the Śvetadvīpa dwellers display the same signs as liberated beings, what exactly is their status? He requests the teacher to remove his confusion, expressing eagerness to learn and taking refuge in the teacher’s wisdom.