Shloka 1
Dharma-vyādha on the Subtlety of Dharma, Karma, and the Continuity of the Jīva (Āraṇyaka-parva 200)
#८2:8 #:23:.7 () हि २ 7 नवनवर्त्याधेकशततमो< ध्याय: राजा इन्द्रद्युम्न तथा अन्य चिरजीवी प्राणियोंकी कथा वैशम्पायन उवाच मार्कण्डेयमृषय: पाण्डवा: पर्यपच्छन्नस्ति कश्चिद् भवतश्चिरजाततर इति
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: Mārkaṇḍeyam ṛṣayaḥ Pāṇḍavāḥ paryapṛcchan—asti kaścid bhavataś cirajātatarā iti.
Waiśampāyana berkata: Para Pāṇḍava bertanya kepada resi Mārkaṇḍeya, “Wahai Bhagawan, adakah seseorang yang lebih tua darimu—atau yang lebih panjang umur darimu?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models dharmic inquiry: seekers approach a realized sage with humility to learn about exemplary lives. It suggests that extraordinary longevity and stature are not merely biological facts but are connected to merit, conduct, and the moral order that the ensuing narrative will illuminate.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that the Pāṇḍavas ask the sage Mārkaṇḍeya whether anyone exists who is even older or more long-lived than he is. This question serves as the opening prompt for stories about ancient figures and long-lived beings (cirajīvins) in the chapter’s continuation.