Shloka 16
Jarītā–Śārṅgā-saṃvāda: Ākhu-haraṇa and the Approach of Agni (आखुहरणं अग्न्यागमनश्च)
हन्त ते कथयिष्यामि पौराणीमृषिसंस्तुताम् । कथामिमां नरश्रेष्ठ खाण्डवस्य विनाशिनीम्,नरश्रेष्ठ खाण्डववनके विनाशसे सम्बन्ध रखनेवाली यह प्राचीन कथा महर्षियोंद्वारा प्रस्तुत की गयी है। उसीको मैं तुमसे कहूँगा
hanta te kathayiṣyāmi paurāṇīm ṛṣisaṃstutām | kathām imāṃ naraśreṣṭha khāṇḍavasya vināśinīm ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Come, I shall tell you this ancient tale, praised by the seers—O best of men—this account that concerns the destruction of the Khāṇḍava forest.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames the coming episode as an authoritative, time-honored tradition “praised by seers,” emphasizing that major events—especially destructive ones—should be understood through reliable transmission and reflective listening, not mere sensational detail.
Vaiśampāyana announces that he will now recount an ancient, sage-approved story specifically connected with the destruction of the Khāṇḍava forest, introducing the Khāṇḍava-dahana episode.