Shloka 17
एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline
(शान्तनो: कथयामास नारदो मुनिसत्तम: । राज्ञा पृष्ट: पुरा प्राह तत्राहं श्रुतवान् पुरा ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | (śāntanoḥ kathayāmāsa nārado munisattamaḥ | rājñā pṛṣṭaḥ purā prāha tatrāhaṃ śrutavān purā ||) pūrvakāle me pitā mahārājaḥ śāntanuḥ pṛṣṭavān; munisattamaḥ nāradaḥ tasmai etāṃ kathāṃ kathayāmāsa; tadā tatraiva aham api etat śrutavān || rājopacarico nāma babhūvādhipatir bhuvaḥ | ākhaṇḍalasakhaḥ khyāto bhakto nārāyaṇaṃ harim ||
ພີດສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໃນການກ່ອນ ເມື່ອບິດາຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ ພຣະຣາຊາ ຊານຕະນຸ ຖາມໄວ້, ມຸນີຜູ້ປະເສີດ ນາຣະດະ ໄດ້ເລົ່ານິທານນີ້ໃຫ້ພຣະອົງຟັງ; ແລະໃນເວລານັ້ນ ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າກໍໄດ້ຟັງຢູ່ທີ່ນັ້ນດ້ວຍ. ໃນຍຸກໂບຮານ ມີຜູ້ປົກຄອງແຜ່ນດິນນີ້ຊື່ ຣາໂຈປະຣິຈະຣະ. ພຣະອົງໂດ່ງດັງວ່າເປັນມິດຂອງ ອິນທຣະ (ອະຄັນດະລະ) ແລະເປັນພະກະຕິບູຊາອັນໂດ່ງດັງຂອງ ຫຣິ-ນາຣາຍະນະ ຜູ້ລ້າງບາບ»។
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage foregrounds the authority of dharmic knowledge transmitted through reliable lineage: a king seeks counsel, a foremost sage narrates, and Bhishma testifies as an eyewitness listener. It also sets an ethical ideal for rulers—worldly power aligned with devotion to Narayana, the remover of sin.
Bhishma introduces a story he heard in the past when Narada spoke to King Shantanu. He then begins the tale by naming an ancient ruler, Rajoparichara, describing him as Indra’s friend and a renowned devotee of Hari Narayana.