Shanti Parva Adhyaya 336 Shloka 8 - Mahabharata | Oriya | Vedapath

Vyasa

Shloka 8

एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline

Devanagari script

क्षीरोदधेर्योत्तरतो हि द्वीप: श्वेत: स नाम्ना प्रथितो विशाल:

Transliteration

kṣīrodadher uttarato hi dvīpaḥ śvetaḥ sa nāmnā prathito viśālaḥ |

Translation

ନାରଦ କହିଲେ—କ୍ଷୀରସାଗରର ଉତ୍ତରଭାଗରେ ‘ଶ୍ୱେତ’ ନାମରେ ପ୍ରସିଦ୍ଧ ଏକ ବିଶାଳ ଦ୍ୱୀପ ଅଛି। ସେହି ଦ୍ୱୀପ ତାଙ୍କ ସମ୍ମୁଖରେ ପ୍ରକଟ ହେଲା। ବିଦ୍ୱାନମାନେ କହନ୍ତି, ସେ ଦ୍ୱୀପ ମେରୁପର୍ବତଠାରୁ ବତ୍ତିସ ହଜାର ଯୋଜନ ଉଚ୍ଚ। ସେଠାର ନିବାସୀମାନେ ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରିୟ-ବ୍ୟାପାରରହିତ, ନିରାହାର, ଚେଷ୍ଟାରହିତ ଏବଂ ଜ୍ଞାନସମ୍ପନ୍ନ; ତାଙ୍କ ଦେହରୁ ସଦା ଦିବ୍ୟ ସୁଗନ୍ଧ ନିସ୍ସରିତ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

क्षीर-उदधेःof the milk-ocean

उत्तरतःto the north; northwards

हिindeed

द्वीपःisland

श्वेतःwhite; Śveta (named)

सःthat; he/it

नाम्नाby name

प्रथितःrenowned; famous

विशालःvast; huge

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Kṣīrodadhi (Ocean of Milk)

Śvetadvīpa (Śveta island)

Mount Meru

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage elevates the ideal of inner realization over sensory life: the highest beings are portrayed as beyond sense-impulses, beyond dependence on food, and beyond restless activity, yet rich in knowledge and purity—symbolized by their natural fragrance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada describes a wondrous northern realm beyond the Ocean of Milk: the vast Śvetadvīpa, its extraordinary height relative to Meru, and the distinctive nature of its inhabitants—sense-transcending, self-sustained, motionless outwardly, and established in knowledge.