श्रोतुमिच्छामि भगवन् स्त्रीणां माहात्म्यमुत्तमम् | कथ्यमानं त्वया विप्र सूक्ष्मं धर्म्य च तत्त्वत:,वे बोले--“भगवन्! मैं आपके मुखसे (पतिव्रता) स्त्रियोंके सूक्ष्म, धर्मसम्मत एवं उत्तम माहात्म्यका यथार्थ वर्णन सुनना चाहता हूँ
śrotum icchāmi bhagavan strīṇāṃ māhātmyam uttamam | kathyamānaṃ tvayā vipra sūkṣmaṃ dharmyaṃ ca tattvataḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai Bhagavan, aku ingin mendengar dari mulutmu kemuliaan tertinggi para perempuan. Wahai brāhmaṇa, jelaskanlah itu dengan halus, selaras dengan dharma, dan sesuai kebenaran hakikatnya.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse frames the inquiry as a dharmic and truthful investigation: the greatness of women (often exemplified through pativratā ideals) should be explained with subtlety, ethical propriety, and fidelity to reality rather than mere praise.
The narrator Vaiśampāyana introduces a request addressed to a learned brāhmaṇa: the speaker asks to hear an accurate, dharma-aligned exposition on the exalted qualities and spiritual power attributed to women.