ऋषय ऊचुः । कथाया लक्षणं ब्रूहि गुणदोषान्सविस्तरान् । आर्षेयपौरुषेयाणां काव्यचिह्नपरीक्षणम् । कथं ज्ञेयं महाबुद्धे श्रोतुमिच्छामहे वयम्
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kathāyā lakṣaṇaṃ brūhi guṇadoṣānsavistarān | ārṣeyapauruṣeyāṇāṃ kāvyacihnaparīkṣaṇam | kathaṃ jñeyaṃ mahābuddhe śrotumicchāmahe vayam
Para resi berkata: “Jelaskanlah ciri-ciri sebuah kathā suci—kebajikan dan kekurangannya secara terperinci—serta tanda-tanda puitis untuk menilai karya yang bersumber dari para ṛṣi (ārṣeya) dan yang bersumber dari manusia (pauruṣeya). Wahai yang berakal agung, bagaimana hal itu diketahui dengan benar? Kami ingin mendengarnya.”
Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: Sūta
Scene: A semicircle of sages respectfully interrogates Sūta, palms joined, requesting a systematic method to evaluate sacred narratives and distinguish seer-origin from human composition.
Seek discernment (viveka) in sacred listening—knowing the marks of authentic, dharma-aligned narration.
The immediate verse frames a teaching within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya setting, but does not yet praise a specific sub-tīrtha.
None; the verse requests doctrinal criteria for evaluating sacred narratives.