Shloka 15
एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline
तस्मान्मे संशयं छिन्धि परं कौतूहलं हि मे । त्वं हि सर्वकथारामस्त्वां चैवोपाश्रिता वयम्
tasmān me saṁśayaṁ chindhi paraṁ kautūhalaṁ hi me | tvaṁ hi sarvakathārāmas tvāṁ caivopāśritā vayam, bharataśreṣṭha |
“Kaya nga, pawiin mo ang aking pagdududa; sapagkat isang malaking pananabik ang sumiklab sa akin. Ikaw ay nalulugod sa bawat banal na pagtalakay, at kami’y kumakanlong sa iyo, O pinakamainam sa mga Bharata. Sa mga kasulatan, inilalarawan ang mga tanda ng mga napalaya mula sa mundong ito—at gayon din ang paglalarawan mo sa mga naninirahan sa Śvetadvīpa. Kaya narito ang aking pag-aalinlangan; alisin mo ito, sapagkat sabik akong makaunawa.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A sincere seeker should openly present doubt (saṁśaya) and request its removal from a qualified guide. The verse emphasizes disciplined inquiry grounded in śāstra (scriptural criteria) and the importance of clarifying apparent equivalences—here, between the scriptural marks of liberation and the described qualities of Śvetadvīpa’s residents.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses the elder teacher (contextually Bhīṣma in Śānti Parva), noting that the traits he has heard for liberated persons match those attributed to the inhabitants of Śvetadvīpa. This creates a doctrinal puzzle, so he asks for a clear resolution, declaring his eagerness and dependence on the teacher’s guidance.