वसिष्ठ उवाच । शृणु सर्वं महीपाल विस्तरेण च कथ्यते । न च मन्युस्त्वया कार्यो न च व्रीडा महामते
vasiṣṭha uvāca | śṛṇu sarvaṃ mahīpāla vistareṇa ca kathyate | na ca manyustvayā kāryo na ca vrīḍā mahāmate
Vasiṣṭha said: “Listen, O protector of the earth; everything will be told in detail. You should feel neither anger nor shame, O great-minded one.”
Vasiṣṭha
Listener: Mahi-pāla (king)
Scene: The sage raises a calming hand, signaling reassurance; the king’s posture relaxes from anxious inquiry to attentive listening.
Spiritual inquiry requires humility and steadiness—one should hear truth without resentment or embarrassment.
No tīrtha is named in this verse; it introduces the forthcoming account in the Arbuda-khaṇḍa setting.
None; it is preparatory counsel for receiving a detailed teaching.