Shloka 1
Śrāddha-dvija-parīkṣā: Paṅkti-dūṣa and Paṅkti-pāvana (श्राद्धे द्विजपरीक्षा—पङ्क्तिदूष-पङ्क्तिपावन)
अपन का बछ। अर: सप्ताशीतितमोब ध्याय: विविध तिथियोंमें श्राद्ध करनेका फल युधिछिर उवाच चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य धर्मात्मन् धर्मा: प्रोक्ता यथा त्वया । तथैव मे श्राद्धविर्धि कृत्स्न॑ प्रब्रूहि पार्थिव
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca—Cāturvarṇyasya dharmātman dharmāḥ proktā yathā tvayā; tathaiva me śrāddha-vidhiṁ kṛtsnaṁ prabrūhi, pārthiva.
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai yang berhati benar, wahai raja bumi! Sebagaimana engkau telah menjelaskan dharma bagi empat varṇa, demikian pula kini jelaskan kepadaku secara lengkap tata cara śrāddha.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames śrāddha as a dharmic subject worthy of systematic instruction, placing ancestral rites alongside the broader duties of the four varṇas and emphasizing completeness and correctness in ritual practice.
In a teacher–disciple style exchange, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a righteous royal instructor and requests a full exposition of the rules and method of performing śrāddha, following an earlier discussion of cāturvarṇya-dharma.