Shloka 436
मातापितृपूजन-प्रधानधर्मः (Primacy of Filial Service) — Mārkaṇḍeya’s Account of the Vyādha’s Instruction
धौन्धुमारमुपाख्यानं॑ प्रथितं यस्य कर्मणा । तभीसे वे नरेश अपने नामके अनुसार वीरता आदि गुणोंसे युक्त हो भूमण्डलमें विख्यात हो गये। युधिष्ठिर! तुमने मुझसे जो पूछा था, वह सारा धुन्धुमारोपाख्यान मैंने तुमसे कह सुनाया। जिनके पराक्रमसे इस उपाख्यानकी प्रसिद्धि हुई है उन नरेशका भी परिचय दे दिया
dhaundhumāram upākhyānaṃ prathitaṃ yasya karmaṇā | yudhiṣṭhira! tvaṃ mayā yat pṛṣṭavān asi, tat sarvaṃ dhaundhumāropākhyānaṃ mayā te kathitaṃ | yeṣāṃ parākramena asyopākhyānasya prasiddhir abhavat, teṣāṃ nṛpāṇām api paricayo mayā dattah |
Mārkaṇḍeya berkata: “Inilah kisah termasyhur tentang Dhaundhumāra, yang menjadi masyhur karena perbuatan raja itu. Wahai Yudhiṣṭhira, apa yang engkau tanyakan kepadaku telah kuceritakan kepadamu sepenuhnya—seluruh episode Dhaundhumāra. Dan para raja yang keberaniannya membuat kisah ini termasyhur pun telah kuperkenalkan.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ethical memory in terms of action: a king’s renown arises from karma (deeds) and parākrama (valor). It also models the didactic function of itihāsa—stories are told to preserve exemplars of conduct and to clarify how fame is earned through worthy action.
Mārkaṇḍeya concludes his narration to Yudhiṣṭhira, stating that he has fully recounted the Dhaundhumāra episode and has also identified the kings whose heroic exploits made the story famous.