Shloka 19
Cyavana’s Reconciliation with Indra; Tīrtha-Indexing at Ārcīka-parvata and Yamunā
Chapter 125
शान्तनुश्नात्र राजेन्द्र शुनकश्न नराधिप: । नरनारायणौ चोभौ स्थान प्राप्ताः:सनातनम्,राजेन्द्र! यहाँ राजा शान्तनु, शुनक और नर-नारायण--ये सभी नित्य धाममें गये हैं
Śāntanuś ca nṛpaśārdūla rājendra Śunakaś ca narādhipaḥ | Nara-Nārāyaṇau cobhau sthānaṃ prāptāḥ sanātanam ||
Lomāśa nói: “Hỡi bậc vương giả tối thượng, hỡi Rājendra, vua Śāntanu, bậc hiền vương Śunaka, và đôi thánh hiền Nara cùng Nārāyaṇa—tất thảy đều đã đạt đến cõi thường hằng. Đời họ nêu gương con đường từ vương đạo chính trực và trí tuệ khổ hạnh đến mục tiêu bất hoại.”
लोगमश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that both righteous worldly life (exemplified by a king like Śāntanu) and spiritual excellence (exemplified by sages like Śunaka and the divine pair Nara–Nārāyaṇa) culminate in the same highest end: attainment of the eternal state. It affirms the Mahābhārata’s ethical vision that dharma, when lived with integrity, leads beyond mortality.
Lomaśa, addressing Yudhiṣṭhira with honorifics, lists revered figures—Śāntanu, Śunaka, and Nara–Nārāyaṇa—and declares that they have reached the ‘sanātana’ abode. The statement functions as a consoling and instructive reminder during the forest narrative: great exemplars have already completed their journey to the imperishable goal.