Yugapramāṇa–Kaliyuga-lakṣaṇa–Pralaya-kathā
Markandeya’s Account of Yugas, Kali Signs, and Dissolution
यस्मात् पूर्व मनुष्येषु ज्यायांसं मामिहाब्रवी: । सर्वदेवैश्व विप्रर्षे सम्मितं श्रेष्ठमेव च
yasmāt pūrvaṁ manuṣyeṣu jyāyāṁsaṁ mām ihābravīḥ | sarvadevaiś ca viprarṣe samitaṁ śreṣṭham eva ca ||
قال ماركانديّا: «لأنك من قبل، بين الناس، خاطبتني هنا على أني أرفع منك (سنًّا وحكمةً)؛ وأيها البراهمن الرائي، لقد أعلنت أيضًا أن جميع الآلهة قد أقرّوني، وأنني حقًّا الأفضل.»
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
The verse highlights dharmic speech: honoring a sage as elder and superior, and grounding praise in recognized authority (even divine approval). It underscores that respect and truthful acknowledgment of merit are ethical virtues.
Mārkaṇḍeya addresses a brahmin-seer, recalling that the interlocutor previously praised him as superior among men and as esteemed by all the gods, thereby justifying Mārkaṇḍeya’s standing in the ongoing discourse.