Shloka 3
आदि पर्व — अध्याय ८३: ययाति-इन्द्र-संवादः तथा अष्टक-प्रश्नः
Yayāti–Indra Dialogue and Aṣṭaka’s Inquiry
शर्मिष्ोवाच ऋषिरभ्यागत: कश्रिद् धर्मात्मा वेदपारग: । स मया वरद: काम याचितो धर्मसंहितम्,शर्मिष्ठा बोली--सखी! कोई धर्मात्मा ऋषि आये थे, जो वेदोंके पारंगत विद्वान् थे। मैंने उन वरदायक ऋषिसे धर्मानुसार कामकी याचना की
śarmiṣṭhovāca ṛṣir abhyāgataḥ kaścid dharmātmā vedapāragaḥ | sa mayā varadaḥ kāmaṃ yācito dharmasaṃhitam ||
Śarmiṣṭhā said: “A certain sage came to us—righteous in spirit and fully learned in the Vedas. From that boon-giving seer I requested, in accordance with dharma, the fulfillment of my desire.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when seeking personal desires (kāma), one should frame the request within the bounds of dharma; moral legitimacy and learned guidance (a dharmātmā, vedapāraga ṛṣi) are presented as safeguards for action.
Śarmiṣṭhā recounts that a righteous, Veda-knowing sage arrived, and she approached him as a boon-giver, requesting the fulfillment of her wish in a manner consistent with dharma.