सूत उवाच । संप्रस्थितस्य रामस्य स्वकीयं सदनं प्रति । यदाश्चर्यमभून्मार्गे श्रूयतां द्विजसत्तमाः
sūta uvāca | saṃprasthitasya rāmasya svakīyaṃ sadanaṃ prati | yadāścaryamabhūnmārge śrūyatāṃ dvijasattamāḥ
Sūta sprach: Als Rāma zu seiner eigenen Wohnstatt aufbrach, ereignete sich unterwegs etwas Wunderbares. Hört davon, o Beste der Zweifachgeborenen.
Sūta
Listener: dvija-sattamāḥ (assembled brāhmaṇas/ṛṣis)
Scene: Sūta addresses assembled brāhmaṇa-sages, announcing that as Rāma departed for his home, a wondrous event occurred on the way, inviting attentive listening.
Approach sacred narratives with attentive listening (śravaṇa), for wonders on a dhārmic journey often disclose the hidden greatness of a holy place.
This opening verse introduces the episode that will reveal the glory of a kṣetra soon identified as Hāṭakeśvara.
None explicitly here; it functions as a narrative preface inviting śravaṇa (devotional hearing).