Shloka 3
धर्मद्वारबहुत्वविमर्शः — Reflection on the Many ‘Doors’ of Dharma (Śānti-parva 342)
वैशम्पायन उवाच शृणु राजन् यथा<<चष्ट फाल्गुनस्य हरि: प्रभु: । प्रसन्नात्मा55त्मनो नाम्नां निरुक्त गुणकर्मजम्,वैशम्पायनजीने कहा--राजन्! भगवान् श्रीहरिने अर्जुनपर प्रसन्न होकर उनसे गुण और कर्मके अनुसार स्वयं अपने नामोंकी जैसी व्याख्या की थी, वही तुम्हें सुना रहा हूँ, सुनो
vaiśampāyana uvāca | śṛṇu rājan yathā caṣṭa phālgunasya hariḥ prabhuḥ | prasannātmā ātmano nāmnāṁ niruktaṁ guṇa-karma-jam ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai Raja, dengarkan. Akan kuceritakan kepadamu tepat sebagaimana Sang Prabhu Hari, penguasa tertinggi, dengan hati yang bening dan berkenan, menjelaskan makna nama-nama-Nya sendiri kepada Phālguna (Arjuna) sesuai dengan sifat-sifat dan perbuatan-Nya. Dengarkanlah.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a method of understanding the Divine: the Lord’s names are not arbitrary but are to be interpreted through His guṇas (attributes) and karmas (deeds). This links devotion (remembering names) with ethical-theological reflection (what those names signify in conduct and character).
Vaiśampāyana addresses the king and introduces a forthcoming discourse: he will recount how Lord Hari, pleased with Arjuna (Phālguna), explained the derivations and meanings of His own names. This serves as a preface to a section focused on the significance of divine epithets.