Droṇotpattiḥ and Dhanurveda-Prāpti
Origin of Droṇa and Acquisition of Martial Science
इमां च तावद् धर्मात्मन् पौराणीं शूणु मे कथाम् । परिश्रुतां विशालाक्ष कीर्तयिष्यामि यामहम्,“धर्मात्मन्! पहले आप मेरे मुँहसे यह पौराणिक कथा सुन लीजिये। विशालाक्ष! यह जो कथा मैं कहने जा रही हूँ, सर्वत्र विख्यात है
imāṃ ca tāvad dharmātman paurāṇīṃ śṛṇu me kathām | pariśrutāṃ viśālākṣa kīrtayiṣyāmi yām aham ||
Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Oh justo, escucha primero de mí este antiguo relato (puránico). Oh de grandes ojos, relataré la historia que he oído por completo, una que es célebre en todas partes».
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse foregrounds dharma-oriented listening and the authority of received tradition: a narrator should transmit what is well-attested and widely known, and a listener should approach such instruction with attentiveness and ethical seriousness.
Vaiśampāyana signals a transition into an ancient, widely renowned tale. He addresses his listener respectfully (as ‘righteous-souled’ and ‘wide-eyed’) and promises to recount a story he has heard in full, establishing credibility and setting the stage for the next episode.