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 |
ユディシュティラは言った。「ああ、バーラタ族の最勝者よ。経典がこの世において解脱に至る人々の相として説くもの——その同じ相を、あなたはまたシュヴェータド्वीーパ（Śvetadvīpa）の住人にも当てはめて語られた。ゆえに私の心に疑いが生じた。どうかこの迷いを晴らしてほしい。私はその理を知りたくてならぬ。あなたはあらゆる聖なる物語の精髄を味わう方、そして我らはあなたに帰依しているのだ。」
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.