Shloka 7
Nāga-āyatana-darśana-pratīkṣā — The Brāhmaṇa’s Request and Waiting on the Gomatī
सौतिरुवाच तस्मिन् यज्ञे वर्तमाने राज्ञ: पारिक्षितस्य वै
sautir uvāca tasmin yajñe vartamāne rājñaḥ pārīkṣitasya vai, paripapraccha rājendraḥ pitāmaha-pitāmaham |
Sauti berkata: Ketika yajña Raja Janamejaya, keturunan Parīkṣit, sedang dilangsungkan dengan semestinya, sang raja agung memperoleh jeda di antara berbagai ritus. Dengan hormat ia bertanya kepada leluhur para leluhurnya—Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, resi Vyāsa, laksana khazanah Veda—sebagai berikut.
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds dharmic learning through disciplined inquiry: even a powerful king, amid ritual action, seeks guidance from a venerable authority (Vyāsa). It models humility, respect for lineage and tradition, and the ethical priority of seeking right understanding before acting.
During Janamejaya’s ongoing sacrifice, a pause occurs between rites. The king uses this interval to question Vyāsa—his remote ancestor and the revered compiler-sage—setting up the next portion of instruction or narration.