Shloka 41

सनत्कुमारादपि च वीरणो वै प्रजापति: । कृतादौ कुरुशार्दूल धर्ममेतदधीतवान्‌,नरेश्वर! तत्पश्चात्‌ भगवान्‌ सनत्कुमारने उनसे उस सात्वत-धर्मका उपदेश ग्रहण किया। कुरुश्रेष्ठ! सनत्कुमारसे वीरण प्रजापतिने कृतयुगके आदिमें इस धर्मका उपदेश ग्रहण किया

sanatkumārād api ca vīraṇo vai prajāpatiḥ | kṛtādau kuruśārdūla dharmam etad adhītavān, nareśvara | tatpaścāt bhagavān sanatkumāraḥ naraśvarāya etat sātvata-dharma-upadeśaṃ prāha | kuruśreṣṭha! sanatkumārāt vīraṇa-prajāpatinā kṛtayugasya ādau asya dharmasya upadeśaḥ gṛhītaḥ ||

Vaiśampāyana said: Even from Sanatkumāra, the Prajāpati named Vīraṇa learned this very Dharma at the beginning of the Kṛta age, O tiger among the Kurus, O king. Thereafter, the blessed Sanatkumāra imparted that teaching of Sātvata-Dharma. O best of the Kurus, from Sanatkumāra the Prajāpati Vīraṇa received this instruction in Dharma in the earliest time of the Kṛta-yuga.

सनत्कुमारात्from Sanatkumāra
सनत्कुमारात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootसनत्कुमार
FormMasculine, Ablative, Singular
अपिalso/even
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
वीरणःVīraṇa (proper name)
वीरणः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवीरण
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
वैindeed
वै:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै
प्रजापतिःPrajāpati
प्रजापतिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootप्रजापति
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
कृतादौat the beginning of the Kṛta (yuga)
कृतादौ:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootकृत-आदि
FormMasculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular
कुरुशार्दूलO tiger among the Kurus
कुरुशार्दूल:
TypeNoun
Rootकुरु-शार्दूल
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
धर्मम्dharma/teaching
धर्मम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
एतत्this
एतत्:
TypePronoun/Adjective
Rootएतद्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
अधीतवान्studied/learned
अधीतवान्:
TypeVerb
Rootअधि-इ (धातु: इ/अध्ययनार्थे), क्तवत्
FormPerfective past (ktavat participle), Singular, Masculine, Nominative
नरेश्वरO lord of men (king)
नरेश्वर:
TypeNoun
Rootनर-ईश्वर
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular

वैशम्पायन उवाच

वैशम्पायन (Vaiśampāyana)
सनत्कुमार (Sanatkumāra)
वीरण प्रजापति (Vīraṇa Prajāpati)
कुरु (Kuru lineage)
कृतयुग (Kṛta-yuga)
सात्वत-धर्म (Sātvata-Dharma)

Educational Q&A

The verse emphasizes the authority of Dharma through an ancient lineage of transmission: Sātvata-Dharma is presented as a venerable teaching received at the very dawn of the Kṛta-yuga, underscoring its timeless ethical and spiritual legitimacy.

Vaiśampāyana describes how the teaching was handed down: Sanatkumāra instructed Vīraṇa Prajāpati at the beginning of the Kṛta age, and this tradition of instruction is being recalled to validate the doctrine being discussed in the Śānti Parva.