Shloka 3
इन्द्रद्युम्नोपाख्यानम्
Indradyumna Upākhyāna: On Kīrti, Smṛti, and Restoration
अस्मिन् कलियुगे त्वस्ति पुनः: कौतूहलं मम । समाकुलेषु धर्मेषु कि नु शेषं भविष्यति,अब मुझे इस कलियुगके विषयमें पुनः विशेषरूपसे सुननेका कुतूहल हो रहा है। जब सारे धर्मोंका उच्छेद हो जायगा, उस समय क्या शेष रह जायगा?
asmin kaliyuge tv asti punaḥ kautūhalaṁ mama | samākuleṣu dharmeṣu ki nu śeṣaṁ bhaviṣyati ||
قال يودهيشثيرا: «في هذا العصر الكاليّ تتجدد في نفسي رغبةٌ في الاستفهام. فإذا اضطربت الواجبات والشرائع الأخلاقية واضمحلت، فما الذي يبقى إذن بوصفه البقية الأخيرة؟»
युधिष्ठिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical problem central to dharma-literature: when social and religious norms collapse into confusion, one must ask what enduring principle or minimal foundation of righteousness still remains. It highlights the need to seek a stable moral remainder amid degeneration.
Yudhiṣṭhira, known for his concern with dharma, questions his interlocutor about the Kali-yuga. He expresses renewed curiosity and asks what will be left when dharmas are thrown into disorder and effectively destroyed.