Shloka 4
गदायुद्ध-समारम्भः
Commencement of the Mace-Duel Proceedings
ते तु सर्वे महात्मानमूचू राजन् हलायुधम् । शृणु विस्तरशो राम यस्यायं पूर्वमाश्रम:,राजन्! तब वे सभी ऋषि महात्मा हलधरसे बोले--“बलरामजी! पहले यह आश्रम जिसके अधिकारमें था, उसकी कथा विस्तारपूर्वक सुनिये--
te tu sarve mahātmānam ūcu rājan halāyudham | śṛṇu vistaraśo rāma yasyāyaṃ pūrvam āśramaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : Alors tous ces grands sages s’adressèrent à Halāyudha (Balarāma) en ces termes : «Ô roi, ô Rāma, écoute en détail le récit de celui à qui cet āśrama appartint jadis.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sacred places and institutions like an āśrama are understood through their lineage and prior custodians; listening carefully to such accounts is presented as a respectful, dharmic way to understand the sanctity and authority of a place.
A group of sages turns to Balarāma (called Halāyudha) and invites him to hear, in full detail, the story of the earlier owner or presiding figure of the hermitage they are discussing.