Shloka 15
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 3 — Janamejaya’s Rite, Dhaumya’s Parīkṣā, and Uttanka’s Kuṇḍala Quest (सर्पसत्रप्रस्तावना–गुरुपरीक्षा–उत्तङ्कोपाख्यान)
स नमस्कृत्य तमृषिमुवाच भगवन्नयं तव पुत्रो मम पुरोहितो$स्त्विति,राजाने पहले महर्षिको नमस्कार करके कहा--“भगवन्! आपके ये पुत्र सोमश्रवा मेरे पुरोहित हों!
sa namaskṛtya tam ṛṣim uvāca—bhagavann ayaṃ tava putro mama purohito 'stv iti
After bowing respectfully to that sage, Rāma said, “Revered sir, let this son of yours be my family priest.” The request reflects the king’s recognition that sacred authority and moral guidance should stand at the center of royal life, with governance anchored in learned counsel and ritual responsibility.
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should ground his authority in dharma by honoring spiritual wisdom and appointing a qualified purohita who can guide ritual, ethics, and right conduct; humility before sages is presented as a virtue of kingship.
Rāma first offers respectful obeisance to a sage and then formally requests that the sage’s son be appointed as his purohita (royal/family priest), establishing a relationship of religious counsel and ritual support for his rule.