Shloka 15
एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline
तस्मान्मे संशयं छिन्धि परं कौतूहलं हि मे । त्वं हि सर्वकथारामस्त्वां चैवोपाश्रिता वयम्
tasmān me saṁśayaṁ chindhi paraṁ kautūhalaṁ hi me | tvaṁ hi sarvakathārāmas tvāṁ caivopāśritā vayam, bharataśreṣṭha |
«Потому рассей моё сомнение: во мне поднялось великое любопытство. Ты находишь радость в каждом священном слове, и мы прибегли к тебе, о лучший из Бхаратов. В шастрах описаны признаки тех, кто освобождён от этого мира, — и ты теми же словами описал жителей Шветадвипы. Отсюда моя неуверенность; прошу, устрани её, ибо я жажду понять.»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A sincere seeker should openly present doubt (saṁśaya) and request its removal from a qualified guide. The verse emphasizes disciplined inquiry grounded in śāstra (scriptural criteria) and the importance of clarifying apparent equivalences—here, between the scriptural marks of liberation and the described qualities of Śvetadvīpa’s residents.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses the elder teacher (contextually Bhīṣma in Śānti Parva), noting that the traits he has heard for liberated persons match those attributed to the inhabitants of Śvetadvīpa. This creates a doctrinal puzzle, so he asks for a clear resolution, declaring his eagerness and dependence on the teacher’s guidance.