Shloka 2
Āraṇyaka Parva, Adhyāya 233 — Pandavas Mobilize; Arjuna’s Conciliation and the Onset of Combat
वैशम्पायन उवाच इत्युक्त: पाण्डवेयेन महात्मा ऋषिसंनिधौ । उवाच भगवांस्तत्र मार्कण्डेयो महातपा:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! पाण्डुनन्दन युधिष्ठिरके इस प्रकार कहनेपर महातपस्वी महात्मा भगवान् मार्कण्डेयने ऋषियोंके समीप इस प्रकार कहा--
vaiśampāyana uvāca | ity uktaḥ pāṇḍaveyena mahātmā ṛṣi-saṁnidhau | uvāca bhagavāṁs tatra mārkaṇḍeyo mahātapāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: When the noble son of Pāṇḍu had spoken thus in the presence of the assembled sages, the venerable and greatly austere seer Mārkaṇḍeya then replied there. The scene frames a dharmic inquiry: a righteous king seeks guidance, and an authoritative sage answers before witnesses, grounding the forthcoming teaching in tradition and ethical accountability.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse establishes the ethical method of the epic: a dharmic question posed by a righteous ruler is answered by a revered sage in the presence of other sages, emphasizing that guidance on dharma should be grounded in authoritative tradition and accountable discourse.
Vaiśampāyana narrates to King Janamejaya that after Yudhiṣṭhira (the Pāṇḍava) speaks, the great ascetic sage Mārkaṇḍeya begins his reply before the gathered ṛṣis, signaling the start of Mārkaṇḍeya’s counsel/story.