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 |
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai yang terbaik dalam keturunan Bharata! Tanda-tanda yang dihuraikan oleh śāstra bagi manusia yang mencapai pembebasan di dunia ini—tanda-tanda itulah juga yang tuanku sandarkan kepada penduduk Śvetadvīpa. Maka timbullah keraguan dalam hatiku. Mohon lenyapkan kekusutan ini; fikiranku sangat rindu untuk memahaminya. Tuanku menikmati inti segala kisah suci, dan kami telah berlindung pada tuanku.”
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.