आसीत्कृतयुगे विप्रो वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः । विष्णुशर्मेति विख्यातः सर्वशास्त्रार्थपारगः
āsītkṛtayuge vipro vedavedāṅgapāragaḥ | viṣṇuśarmeti vikhyātaḥ sarvaśāstrārthapāragaḥ
Pada Zaman Kṛta hiduplah seorang brāhmaṇa, mahir dalam Veda dan Vedāṅga; ia termasyhur bernama Viṣṇuśarman, serta menguasai makna segala śāstra.
Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
Listener: Pāṇḍava-sattama
Scene: A Kṛta Yuga brāhmaṇa scholar (Viṣṇuśarman) depicted with palm-leaf manuscripts, yajñopavīta, and calm radiance—an embodiment of Vedic mastery.
Pilgrimage greatness is often revealed through exemplary lives; scriptural mastery and purity of conduct support dharma in the world.
The verse sets up the origin narrative that culminates in Bhārabhūti tīrtha’s sanctity, though the site is not named in this line.
None explicitly; the verse introduces a dharmic protagonist whose life will ground the tīrtha-māhātmya.