Shloka 2
पञ्चमहाभूतगुण-इन्द्रियनिग्रह-उपदेशः | Teaching on the Qualities of the Five Elements and Sense-Control
युधिष्ठिरो महाराज पप्रच्छ भरतर्षभ । मार्कण्डेयं तपोवृद्ध दीर्घायुषमकल्मषम्,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--भरतश्रेष्ठ महाराज जनमेजय! महाभाग मार्कण्डेय मुनिके मुखसे राजर्षि इन्द्रद्ुम्नको पुनः स्वर्गप्राप्ति होनेका वृत्तान्त (तथा दानमाहात्म्य) सुनकर राजा युधिष्ठिरने पापरहित, दीर्घायु तथा तपोवृद्ध महात्मा मार्कण्डेयसे इस प्रकार पूछा --
Vaiśampāyana uvāca—Yudhiṣṭhiro mahārāja papraccha bharatarṣabha | Mārkaṇḍeyaṁ tapovṛddhaṁ dīrghāyuṣam akalmaṣam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then King Yudhiṣṭhira, O bull among the Bharatas, questioned the sage Mārkaṇḍeya—great through austerity, long-lived, and free from sin—seeking deeper understanding after hearing of Indradyumna’s renewed attainment of heaven and the greatness of giving.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ethical inquiry: a righteous king approaches a purified, long-practiced sage for guidance, implying that dharma and the fruits of actions (especially generosity and merit) are best understood through humble questioning of the spiritually disciplined.
In the Vaiśampāyana–Janamejaya frame, Vaiśampāyana reports that Yudhiṣṭhira, after hearing about Indradyumna’s renewed ascent to heaven and the glory of giving, now asks the sage Mārkaṇḍeya a further question.