Shloka 96
Nāgendra–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda: Praśna-vidhi and Dharmic Approach on the Gomatī Riverbank
उत्पन्नसंशयो राजा एतदेवमचोदयत् । भगवान् विष्णुके हयग्रीवावतारकी चर्चा सुनकर तुम्हारी ही तरह राजा जनमेजयको भी संदेह हो गया था। तब उन्होंने इस प्रकार प्रश्न किया--,नैवास्य विन्दन्ति गतिं महात्मनो न चागतिं कश्चिदिहानुपश्यति । ज्ञानात्मका: सन्ति हि ये महर्षय: पश्यन्ति नित्यं पुरुष गुणाधिकम्
utpanna-sabayo r1j1 etad evam acodayat | bhagav1n viu-ke hayagr2bv1vat1ra-k2b carc1 brutv1 tv1m iva r1j1 janamejayo 'pi sabaya pr1pta | tata sa evam apchat || naiv1sya vindanti gati mah1tmana na c1gati kabcid ih1nupabyati | j1n1tmak1 santi hi ye maharaya pabyanti nitya purua gu1dhikam ||
Śaunaka berkata: Ketika keraguan timbul dalam diri sang raja, ia menekan pokok perkara ini demikian. Setelah mendengar pembahasan tentang penjelmaan Hayagrīva dari Bhagavān Viṣṇu, Raja Janamejaya pun—seperti engkau—diliputi kebimbangan. Lalu ia bertanya: “Tiada seorang pun di sini dapat menemukan ‘jalan’ Sang Mahātmā itu, dan tiada pula yang melihat ‘tanpa-jalan’-Nya (batas atau penghentian apa pun). Namun para resi agung yang hakikatnya adalah pengetahuan senantiasa memandang Sang Puruṣa yang melampaui guṇa.”
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The Supreme Person’s nature and ‘path’ cannot be grasped by ordinary inference; yet realized seers—whose consciousness is grounded in knowledge—directly apprehend the Lord as transcending the three guas. The verse contrasts common epistemic limits with yogic/gnostic vision.
After hearing an account and discussion of Viu’s Hayagr2bva incarnation, Janamejaya becomes doubtful and presses the speaker with a question about how the Lord’s movement, destiny, or limits can be known, and how sages can nevertheless ‘see’ Him.