Shloka 55
Āścarya-kathana: Brāhmaṇa–Nāga Dialogue on Sūrya (Vivasvat) and the ‘Second Sun’ Phenomenon
एवमेष महान् धर्म आद्यो राजन् सनातन: । दुरविज्ञियो दुष्करश्न सात्वतैर्धार्यते सदा
evam eṣa mahān dharma ādyō rājan sanātanaḥ | duravijñeyo duṣkaraś ca sātvatair dhāryate sadā, rājan ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Demikianlah, wahai raja, inilah Dharma yang mula dan agung, kekal sepanjang masa. Bagi yang lain ia sukar dipahami dan sukar dijalankan; namun para bhakta Tuhan (kaum Sātvata) senantiasa menjunjungnya.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes that the highest, ancient Dharma is both subtle (hard to comprehend) and demanding (hard to practice), and that steadfast devotees of the Lord are the ones who consistently sustain and embody it.
Vaiśampāyana, addressing the king (Janamejaya), concludes or reinforces an instruction on Dharma by characterizing it as primordial and eternal, noting its difficulty for ordinary people, and highlighting that the Sātvatas (the Lord’s devotees) continually uphold it.