Shloka 85
Āścarya-kathana: Brāhmaṇa–Nāga Dialogue on Sūrya (Vivasvat) and the ‘Second Sun’ Phenomenon
एवं हि स महाभागो नारदो गुरवे मम । श्वेतानां यतिनां चाह एकान्तगतिमव्ययाम्
evaṁ hi sa mahābhāgo nārado gurave mama | śvetānāṁ yatināṁ cāha ekāntagatim avyayām ||
Demikianlah Nārada yang mulia menjelaskan kepada guruku Vyāsa tentang jalan tertinggi yang tak binasa—“tujuan tunggal” yang disebut bagi para perumah tangga berpakaian putih maupun para pertapa—menunjukkan bahwa perlindungan terakhir terletak pada keteguhan batin yang tak menyimpang.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse points to an imperishable 'ekānta-gati'—a final, exclusive spiritual course grounded in inner withdrawal and single-pointed pursuit of liberation—presented as applicable across outward modes of life, whether one is a white-clad practitioner/householder or an ascetic.
Vaiśampāyana reports that the sage Nārada instructed Vyāsa (the narrator’s teacher), explaining the enduring highest destination or path associated with different life-styles—those marked by white clothing and those of ascetic striving—within the broader Shānti Parva discourse on dharma and liberation.