Āścarya-kathana: Brāhmaṇa–Nāga Dialogue on Sūrya (Vivasvat) and the ‘Second Sun’ Phenomenon
संसारमें जिन लोगोंकी वासनाएँ दग्ध हो गयी हैं और जो पुण्य-पापसे रहित हो गये हैं, उन्हें परम्परासे जो गति प्राप्त होती है, उसका भी आपने वर्णन किया है ।।
janamejaya uvāca | saṃsāre yeṣāṃ vāsanā dagdhāḥ puṇya-pāpa-vivarjitāś ca, teṣāṃ paramparayā yā gatiḥ prāpyate tām api tvayā varṇitā | caturthyā caiva te gatyāṃ gacchanti puruṣottamam | ekāntinas tu puruṣā gacchanti paramaṃ padam | ye bhagavato 'nanya-bhaktāḥ sādhavaḥ puruṣāḥ, te 'niruddha-pradyumna-saṅkarṣaṇān apekṣām akṛtvā vāsudeva-saṃjñikāṃ caturthīṃ gatiṃ prāpya bhagavantaṃ puruṣottamaṃ tad-uttamaṃ paramaṃ padaṃ ca prāpnuvanti |
阇那弥阇耶说道:“你也已叙述:世间那些潜在欲习已被焚尽、并离于福罪二边之人,依次第相承而得的归趣。由那第四道,他们趋向至上之人。然而,一心专奉的善士——专注不二的贤者——则抵达最高境界:不依阿尼卢陀、普拉丢姆那或僧迦尔沙那,而直证名为‘婆苏提婆’的第四归趣,由此得见主宰——普鲁绍塔摩——并抵达祂的无上住处。”
जनमेजय उवाच
The verse contrasts two spiritual attainments: those who have burned away desires and transcended merit and sin may reach a destination through a graded succession, while the single-minded devotee (ekāntin) reaches the supreme abode directly by attaining the ‘fourth’ destination identified with Vāsudeva—i.e., the Supreme Lord Himself.
Janamejaya, continuing his inquiry, refers to a prior explanation about the post-mortem/spiritual ‘destinations’ of liberated persons. He highlights a specific teaching: exclusive devotees do not rely on intermediary divine manifestations (Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Saṅkarṣaṇa) but attain Puruṣottama and the highest state through Vāsudeva.