को हेतुर्यन्न लभ्येत भिक्षा यत्नेन रक्षिता । अंतेवासिन आहूय व्यासः पप्रच्छ चाखिलान्
ko heturyanna labhyeta bhikṣā yatnena rakṣitā | aṃtevāsina āhūya vyāsaḥ papraccha cākhilān
“Apakah sebabnya bhikṣā tidak juga diperoleh, padahal dicari dan dijaga dengan sungguh-sungguh?” Demikian merenung, Vyāsa memanggil para śiṣya yang tinggal di āśrama dan menanyai mereka semua.
Narrator (Kāśīkhaṇḍa context; traditionally Skanda speaking to Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (frame assumed; not explicit in excerpt)
Scene: Vyāsa seated or standing in a small āśrama corner within Kāśī, calling his antevāsins close; the empty alms bowl rests nearby as he questions them with calm gravity.
A dharmic seeker investigates causes with clarity and consults companions rather than blaming fate alone.
Kāśī, implied as the setting where even unusual events become occasions to reveal its māhātmya.
None directly; the focus is on the conduct of seeking bhikṣā and inquiry under a guru-like leader.