Shloka 14
एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline
ये च मुक्ता भवन्तीह नरा भरतसत्तम | तेषां लक्षणमेतद्धि तच्छवेतद्वीपवासिनाम्
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | ye ca muktā bhavantīha narā bharatasattama | teṣāṃ lakṣaṇam etad dhi tac chvetadvīpavāsinām |
Wika ni Yudhiṣṭhira: “O pinakamainam sa mga Bharata! Ang mga palatandaang inilalarawan ng mga kasulatan para sa mga taong nakakamit ang paglaya sa mundong ito—yaon ding mga palatandaan ang iniuugnay mo sa mga naninirahan sa Śvetadvīpa. Kaya’t may pag-aalinlangan na sumibol sa akin. Pawiin mo ang aking pagdududa; sabik na sabik ang aking isip na maunawaan ito. Ikaw ay nalulugod sa diwa ng lahat ng banal na salaysay, at kami’y sumasandig at kumakanlong sa iyo.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A genuine seeker tests teachings by comparing them with śāstra: Yudhiṣṭhira notices that the marks of liberation described in scripture match the description of Śvetadvīpa’s inhabitants, and he asks for clarification—modeling careful inquiry, humility, and reliance on a competent guide.
In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses an elder teacher (honored as ‘best of the Bharatas’) and raises a doubt: if the Śvetadvīpa dwellers display the same signs as liberated beings, what exactly is their status? He requests the teacher to remove his confusion, expressing eagerness to learn and taking refuge in the teacher’s wisdom.