Shloka 34
Nāga-āyatana-darśana-pratīkṣā — The Brāhmaṇa’s Request and Waiting on the Gomatī
ततः स ददृशे देवी पुराणावृषिसत्तमौ । तपश्चरन्तौ सुमहदात्मनिष्ठौ महाव्रतौ
tataḥ sa dadṛśe devī purāṇāv ṛṣisattamau | tapaś carantau sumahad ātmaniṣṭhau mahāvratau ||
ततः स ददृशे देवी पुराणावृषिसत्तमौ । तपश्चरन्तौ सुमहदात्मनिष्ठौ महाव्रतौ ॥
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that the highest exemplars (Nara–Nārāyaṇa) are defined by tapas, great vows, and ātmaniṣṭhā—inner steadiness. Ethical authority in the Śānti Parva is grounded in self-mastery and disciplined restraint, which sustain dharma more reliably than external power.
The narrator (Vaiśampāyana) reports that the observer encounters and beholds the ancient divine sage-pair Nara and Nārāyaṇa, who are engaged in intense austerities while maintaining firm inward absorption and strict vows.