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 |
ຢຸທິສຖິຣ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ຜູ້ປະເສີດທີ່ສຸດໃນວົງສາບາຣະຕະ! ລັກສະນະທີ່ຄຳພີກ່າວໄວ້ສຳລັບມະນຸດຜູ້ບັນລຸມົກຂະໃນໂລກນີ້—ທ່ານກໍໄດ້ກ່າວລັກສະນະດຽວກັນນັ້ນແກ່ຜູ້ອາໄສໃນ ສະເວຕະທະວີປ (Śvetadvīpa) ດ້ວຍ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ຄວາມສົງໄສເກີດຂຶ້ນໃນໃຈຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ. ຂໍທ່ານຈົ່ງຂັດຂວາງຄວາມຄາໃຈນີ້; ໃຈຂ້າພະເຈົ້າກະຫາຍຮູ້ຢ່າງແຮງ. ທ່ານເປັນຜູ້ຊື່ນຊົມອັນຫວານຊື່ນໃນສານະຂອງນິທານສັກສິດທັງປວງ ແລະ ພວກເຮົາໄດ້ມາພຶ່ງພາທ່ານ»។
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.