Shloka 41
Āścarya-kathana: Brāhmaṇa–Nāga Dialogue on Sūrya (Vivasvat) and the ‘Second Sun’ Phenomenon
सनत्कुमारादपि च वीरणो वै प्रजापति: । कृतादौ कुरुशार्दूल धर्ममेतदधीतवान्
sanatkumārād api ca vīraṇo vai prajāpatiḥ | kṛtādau kuruśārdūla dharmam etad adhītavān, nareśvara | tatpaścāt bhagavān sanatkumāraḥ naraśvarāya etat sātvata-dharma-upadeśaṃ prāha | kuruśreṣṭha! sanatkumārāt vīraṇa-prajāpatinā kṛtayugasya ādau asya dharmasya upadeśaḥ gṛhītaḥ ||
Waiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai harimau di antara para Kuru, wahai raja! Pada awal Yuga Kṛta, Prajāpati bernama Vīraṇa mempelajari dharma ini bahkan dari Sanatkumāra sendiri. Sesudah itu, Sang Bhagavān Sanatkumāra menurunkan ajaran Sātvata-Dharma tersebut. Wahai yang terbaik di antara Kuru, dari Sanatkumāra-lah Prajāpati Vīraṇa menerima tuntunan dharma ini pada masa paling mula Yuga Kṛta.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes the authority of Dharma through an ancient lineage of transmission: Sātvata-Dharma is presented as a venerable teaching received at the very dawn of the Kṛta-yuga, underscoring its timeless ethical and spiritual legitimacy.
Vaiśampāyana describes how the teaching was handed down: Sanatkumāra instructed Vīraṇa Prajāpati at the beginning of the Kṛta age, and this tradition of instruction is being recalled to validate the doctrine being discussed in the Śānti Parva.