Shloka 43
Adhyāya 325: Nārada in Śvetadvīpa—Stotra to the Nirguṇa Mahātman
ततो मुहूर्तादुत्थाय कृत्वा शौचमनन्तरम्
tato muhūrtād utthāya kṛtvā śaucam anantaram | tadānantaraṃ yadā dve ghaṭī rātrau avaśiṣṭe, tadā brahmavelāyāṃ sa punaḥ utthitaḥ; śauca-snānaṃ kṛtvā paścāt buddhimān śukadevaḥ punar api paramātma-dhyāne eva nimagnaḥ abhavat | tasmin kāle api tāḥ sundaryaḥ striyaḥ taṃ parivārya upaviṣṭāḥ āsan |
ततो मुहूर्तादुत्थाय कृत्वा शौचमनन्तरम्। ब्रह्ममुहूर्ते सम्प्राप्ते स्नात्वा शुद्धो महामुनिः॥ पुनर्ध्यानपरः शुकः परमात्मनि लीनधीः। स्त्रीभिः परिवृतोऽप्येव तदा तस्थौ जितेन्द्रियः॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined spiritual life: rising at brahma-muhūrta, maintaining purity (śauca and snāna), and steady absorption in meditation on the Supreme Self, remaining unmoved even when surrounded by sensory temptations.
Śukadeva wakes again near the end of the night, performs purification and bathing, and returns to deep meditation on Paramātman; despite beautiful women sitting around him, he remains focused and undistracted.