Shloka 15
Arjuna’s request to Krishna and the opening of the Kāśyapa–Brāhmaṇa mokṣa discourse (Āśvamedhika-parva 16)
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत आश्वमेधिकपर्वके अन्तर्गत अश्वमेधपर्वमें पंद्रहवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
āgacchad brāhmaṇaḥ kaścit svargalokād ariṃdama | brahmalokāc ca durdharṣaḥ so 'smābhiḥ pūjito 'bhavat || śatrudamana! ekadā durdharṣo brāhmaṇo brahmalokād avaruhya svargalokaṃ gatvā mama samīpam āgataḥ | mayā sa vidhivat pūjitaḥ, mokṣadharme ca praśnaḥ kṛtaḥ | bharataśreṣṭha! mama praśnasya sa sundareṇa vidhinā pratyuvāca | pārtha! tad eva te 'haṃ vakṣyāmi; anyathā-buddhiṃ mā kṛthāḥ, dhyānena śṛṇu ||
Vāyu sprach: „O Bezwinger der Feinde, einst stieg ein gewaltiger, kaum zu widerstehender Brāhmane aus der Welt Brahmās herab und kam, nachdem er den Himmel durchschritten hatte, zu mir. Ich empfing ihn nach gebührenden Riten und fragte ihn nach dem Dharma, der zur Befreiung führt. O Bester der Bhāratas, er beantwortete meine Frage auf schöne und rechte Weise. O Pārtha, nun will ich dir eben diese Lehre darlegen — höre mit gesammelter Aufmerksamkeit, ohne gegenteilige Zweifel zu hegen.“
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage frames mokṣadharma as authoritative knowledge transmitted through proper reverence and disciplined listening: honoring a realized teacher, asking sincerely about liberation, and receiving the answer with focused attention and without contrarian doubt.
Vāyu recounts that a formidable Brahmin descended from Brahmaloka, came via Svargaloka to him, was duly honored, and then answered Vāyu’s question on mokṣadharma. Vāyu now prepares to relay that teaching to Pārtha (Arjuna), urging attentive listening.