अथ तस्य पिता तत्र मृकंडो मुनिसत्तमः । ततो भार्यासमायुक्तो विललाप सुदुःखितः
atha tasya pitā tatra mṛkaṃḍo munisattamaḥ | tato bhāryāsamāyukto vilalāpa suduḥkhitaḥ
Adapun di sana, ayahnya—Mṛkaṇḍu, resi termulia—bersama istrinya meratap dengan amat pedih, diliputi duka.
Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta tradition in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)
Scene: In a forest hermitage, Mṛkaṇḍu—aged sage—sits with his wife; both are overwhelmed, faces wet with tears, hands raised in lament; the hut, sacred fire, and quiet trees witness their sorrow.
Even the wisest sages experience human grief; Purāṇic narratives validate emotion while guiding it back toward dharma and faith.
The Arbuda region forms the narrative backdrop, though this verse centers on the sage’s household sorrow rather than a named tīrtha.
None stated; the verse introduces the emotional setting that will lead to dharmic resolution.