Shloka 7
Vyāsa’s Inquiry into Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Tapas and the Identification of Vidura with Dharma
श्रद्धाभिजनवृद्धानां वेदवेदाड़रवेदिनाम् । धर्मज्ञानां पुराणानां वदतां विविधा: कथा:
śraddhābhijanavṛddhānāṃ vedavedāṅgaravavidinām | dharmajñānāṃ purāṇānāṃ vadatāṃ vividhāḥ kathāḥ ||
श्रद्धा और कुल-गौरव से सम्पन्न, वेद-वेदाङ्ग के ज्ञाता, धर्मज्ञ और पुराणविद् उन वृद्धों के मुख से नाना प्रकार की कथाएँ कही जाती थीं।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical authority of tradition: narratives about life and conduct gain weight when transmitted by elders who possess śraddhā (reverent faith), learning in Veda and Vedāṅga, and practical knowledge of dharma. It frames storytelling as a vehicle for moral instruction grounded in disciplined scholarship.
Vaiśampāyana describes a setting where venerable, learned elders—versed in Vedic knowledge and ancient lore—are speaking. From their discourse emerge many kinds of kathās (accounts), indicating a broader exchange of teachings and recollections that contextualize dharma within lived experience.