Shloka 436
धौन्धुमारमुपाख्यानं॑ प्रथितं यस्य कर्मणा । तभीसे वे नरेश अपने नामके अनुसार वीरता आदि गुणोंसे युक्त हो भूमण्डलमें विख्यात हो गये। युधिष्ठिर! तुमने मुझसे जो पूछा था, वह सारा धुन्धुमारोपाख्यान मैंने तुमसे कह सुनाया। जिनके पराक्रमसे इस उपाख्यानकी प्रसिद्धि हुई है उन नरेशका भी परिचय दे दिया
dhaundhumāram upākhyānaṃ prathitaṃ yasya karmaṇā | yudhiṣṭhira! tvaṃ mayā yat pṛṣṭavān asi, tat sarvaṃ dhaundhumāropākhyānaṃ mayā te kathitaṃ | yeṣāṃ parākramena asyopākhyānasya prasiddhir abhavat, teṣāṃ nṛpāṇām api paricayo mayā dattah |
Mārkaṇḍeya said: “This is the celebrated tale of Dhaundhumāra, made renowned by the deeds of that king. O Yudhiṣṭhira, what you asked of me—I have now fully related to you: the entire Dhaundhumāra episode. And I have also introduced those kings whose valor caused this narrative to become famous.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ethical memory in terms of action: a king’s renown arises from karma (deeds) and parākrama (valor). It also models the didactic function of itihāsa—stories are told to preserve exemplars of conduct and to clarify how fame is earned through worthy action.
Mārkaṇḍeya concludes his narration to Yudhiṣṭhira, stating that he has fully recounted the Dhaundhumāra episode and has also identified the kings whose heroic exploits made the story famous.