Shloka 3
युधिष्ठिरस्य नगरप्रवेशः — चार्वाकप्रकरणं
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Entry into the City and the Cārvāka Episode
पुरा कृतयुगे राजंश्चार्वाको नाम राक्षस: । तपस्तेपे महाबाहो बदर्या बहुवार्षिकम्,राजन्! महाबाहो! पहले सत्ययुग की बात है, चार्वाक राक्षसने बहुत वर्षोंतक बदरिकाश्रममें तपस्या की
purā kṛtayuge rājan cārvāko nāma rākṣasaḥ | tapastepe mahābāho badaryā bahuvārṣikam ||
Vāyu sprach: „In uralter Zeit, im Kṛta- (Satya-)Yuga, o König, gab es einen Rākṣasa namens Cārvāka. O du Mächtigarmiger, viele Jahre lang übte er in Badarī strenge Askese.“
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames tapas (austerity) as a powerful force that can be undertaken even by non-virtuous beings; ethically, it hints that spiritual power (from discipline) is distinct from moral intent, setting up later discussion on how dharma must guide power.
Vāyu begins an ancient episode: during the Kṛta Yuga, a rākṣasa named Cārvāka goes to Badarī and performs long-standing austerities, introducing the background for subsequent events and their moral implications.