Shloka 23
Nārada’s Darśana of Viśvarūpa Nārāyaṇa and the Caturmūrti Doctrine (नारदस्य नारायणदर्शनं चतुर्मूर्तिविचारश्च)
गुरु: प्लावयिता तस्य ज्ञानं प्लव इहोच्यते । विज्ञाय कृतकृत्यस्तु तीर्णस्तदुभयं त्यजेत्
guruḥ plāvayitā tasya jñānaṃ plava ihochyate | vijñāya kṛtakṛtyas tu tīrṇas tad-ubhayaṃ tyajet ||
Sabi ni Janaka: “Ang guro ang siyang nagpapatawid; at ang kaalamang ibinibigay niya ay inilarawan dito na parang bangka. Kapag natanto ang kaalamang iyon, natutupad ang layon at nalalampasan ang pag-iral na makamundo. Gaya ng taong nakatawid na sa ilog at iniiwan ang bangka at ang bangkero, gayundin ang pinalaya ay bumibitaw sa guro (bilang panlabas na sandigan) at sa kaalaman (bilang paraan), at nananahan sa kalayaan mismo.”
जनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The guru and the teaching are indispensable means for crossing saṃsāra, but once liberation is realized, even these supports are to be relinquished—like leaving behind boat and boatman after reaching the far shore.
King Janaka, speaking in a discourse on liberation, uses a river-crossing metaphor: the guru functions as the ferryman and the imparted knowledge as the boat; after the seeker attains the goal, attachment to both the guide and the method is abandoned.