श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । शृणु राजन्यथावृत्तपुरा त्रेतायुगे क्षितौ । लोकपालोपमो राजा देवपन्नो महामतिः
śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | śṛṇu rājanyathāvṛttapurā tretāyuge kṣitau | lokapālopamo rājā devapanno mahāmatiḥ
শ্ৰী মাৰ্কণ্ডেয় ক’লে: হে ৰাজন, শুনা—পুৰাতন কালত, ত্ৰেতাযুগে পৃথিৱীত যি ঘটিছিল। লোকপাল সদৃশ এক মহামতি ৰজা আছিল, নাম দেৱপন্ন।
Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
Tirtha: Māṇḍavya-tīrtha (narrative to follow)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira
Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya, serene and authoritative, begins an ancient tale; the scene subtly transitions from the present assembly to a visionary tableau of Tretāyuga—an ideal king Devapanna appears like a lokapāla.
Tīrtha-māhātmya is often taught through ancient exemplars; righteous kingship and sacred history together establish dharma in the world.
The tīrtha is part of the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative; this verse begins the backstory (Devapanna in Tretāyuga) that will explain its glory.
None; it introduces the historical account.