Shloka 7
Adhyāya 108: Paścima-dik—Varuṇa’s Realm, Sunset Cosmology, and Sacred-Geographic Markers
Suparṇa–Gālava संवाद
एषा दिक् सा द्विजश्रेष्ठ यां सर्व: प्रतिपद्यते । वृता त्वनवबोधेन सुखं तेन न गम्यते,विप्रवर! यह वह दिशा है, जिसमें मृत्युके पश्चात् सभी प्राणियोंको जाना पड़ता है। यह सदा अज्ञानान्धकारसे आवृत रहती है, इसलिये इसमें सुखपूर्वक यात्रा सम्भव नहीं हो पाती है
eṣā dik sā dvijaśreṣṭha yāṁ sarvaḥ pratipadyate | vṛtā tv anavabodhena sukhaṁ tena na gamyate ||
Yuparṇa berkata: “Wahai yang terbaik antara yang dua kali lahir, inilah arah itu—jalan yang mesti ditempuh semua makhluk selepas kematian. Namun ia diselubungi ketiadaan pengertian sejati; maka tidaklah seseorang dapat melaluinya dengan mudah atau bahagia.”
युपर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the post-death journey is universal, but it becomes difficult and joyless when obscured by ignorance; clarity of understanding (right knowledge and discernment) is implied as the means to face inevitable transitions with steadiness.
Yuparṇa addresses a learned brāhmaṇa, pointing out a particular ‘direction’ or course that all beings must take after death, and explains why it is hard to traverse—because it is shrouded in non-understanding.