Shloka 3
Āścarya-kathana: Brāhmaṇa–Nāga Dialogue on Sūrya (Vivasvat) and the ‘Second Sun’ Phenomenon
संसारमें जिन लोगोंकी वासनाएँ दग्ध हो गयी हैं और जो पुण्य-पापसे रहित हो गये हैं, उन्हें परम्परासे जो गति प्राप्त होती है, उसका भी आपने वर्णन किया है ।।
janamejaya uvāca | saṃsāre yeṣāṃ vāsanā dagdhāḥ puṇya-pāpa-vivarjitāś ca, teṣāṃ paramparayā yā gatiḥ prāpyate tām api tvayā varṇitā | caturthyā caiva te gatyāṃ gacchanti puruṣottamam | ekāntinas tu puruṣā gacchanti paramaṃ padam | ye bhagavato 'nanya-bhaktāḥ sādhavaḥ puruṣāḥ, te 'niruddha-pradyumna-saṅkarṣaṇān apekṣām akṛtvā vāsudeva-saṃjñikāṃ caturthīṃ gatiṃ prāpya bhagavantaṃ puruṣottamaṃ tad-uttamaṃ paramaṃ padaṃ ca prāpnuvanti |
संसारे येषां वासनाः दग्धाः, ये च पुण्यपापविवर्जिताः, तेषां पारम्पर्यप्राप्तां गतिं त्वया वर्णिता। चतुर्थ्या चैव ते गत्यां गच्छन्ति पुरुषोत्तमम्। एकान्तिनस्तु पुरुषा गच्छन्ति परमं पदम्; अनिरुद्धप्रद्युम्नसंकर्षणानपेक्ष्य वासुदेवसंज्ञकां चतुर्थीं गतिम् आसाद्य भगवान्तं पुरुषोत्तमं तस्य परमं पदं च प्राप्नुवन्ति।
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts two spiritual attainments: those who have burned away desires and transcended merit and sin may reach a destination through a graded succession, while the single-minded devotee (ekāntin) reaches the supreme abode directly by attaining the ‘fourth’ destination identified with Vāsudeva—i.e., the Supreme Lord Himself.
Janamejaya, continuing his inquiry, refers to a prior explanation about the post-mortem/spiritual ‘destinations’ of liberated persons. He highlights a specific teaching: exclusive devotees do not rely on intermediary divine manifestations (Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Saṅkarṣaṇa) but attain Puruṣottama and the highest state through Vāsudeva.