Shloka 13
Adhyāya 325: Nārada in Śvetadvīpa—Stotra to the Nirguṇa Mahātman
सगिरीक्षाप्यतिक्रम्य नदीतीर्थसरांसि च । बहुव्यालमृगाकीर्णा हाटवीश्व वनानि च
sa-girīkṣāpy atikramya nadī-tīrtha-sarāṁsi ca | bahu-vyāla-mṛgākīrṇā hāṭavīś ca vanāni ca ||
Wika ni Bhishma: Matapos tawirin ang mga hanay ng bundok at mababangis na lagusan, gayundin ang mga ilog, mga banal na tawiran (tirtha), at mga lawa, nagpatuloy sila sa maraming gubat—siksik sa mga ahas at mababangis na hayop. Sa pagdaig sa lahat ng hadlang nang sunod-sunod, tinahak nila ang mga lupain ng Meru (Ilāvṛta), Hari-varṣa, at ang maniyebeng Haimavata (Kimpuruṣa), at sa wakas ay dumating sa Bhārata-varṣa.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness and disciplined perseverance: even when the path is filled with natural dangers and hardships, one who is committed to a higher purpose (dharma, pilgrimage, or duty) proceeds step by step, crossing obstacles without yielding to fear or fatigue.
Bhishma describes a long, arduous journey: the travelers cross mountains, rivers, sacred fords, and lakes, pass through forests crowded with serpents and wild animals, and then move through the mythic regions associated with Meru—Ilavrita, Hari-varsha, and the snowy Haimavata/Kimpurusha tract—before reaching Bharata-varsha.