Shloka 1
व बक। डे - १, नारायण, २. ब्रह्मा, ३. वसिष्ठ, ४. शक्ति, ५. पराशर, ६. व्यास--इस प्रकार व्यासजी छठी पीढ़ीमें उत्पन्न हुए हैं। पज्चाशर्दाधिकत्रिशततमो< ध्याय: वैजयन्त पर्वतपर ब्रह्मा और रुद्रका मिलन एवं ब्रह्माजीद्वारा परम पुरुष नारायणकी महिमाका वर्णन जनमेजय उवाच बहव: पुरुषा ब्रह्मन्नुताहो एक एव तु । को हद्वात्र पुरुष: श्रेष्ठ को वा योनिरिहोच्यते
Janamejaya uvāca
bahavaḥ puruṣā brahmann utāho eka eva tu |
ko hy atra puruṣaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ ko vā yonir ihocyate ||
ជនមេជ័យបានទូលសួរ៖ «ឱ ព្រាហ្មណ៍! ‘បុរស’ (puruṣa) មានច្រើនឬ? ឬពិតប្រាកដមានតែមួយ? ហើយក្នុងរឿងនេះ បុរសណាជាអធិរាជបំផុត? តើអ្វីត្រូវបានហៅថា ‘យោនិ’—ប្រភពកំណើត—នៅទីនេះ?»
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a foundational inquiry: whether ultimate reality is plural (many puruṣas) or singular (one supreme Puruṣa), and it asks to identify the highest principle and the true source. It sets up a theological-metaphysical clarification that, in this section of Śānti Parva, culminates in affirming the supremacy of the परम पुरुष (often identified as Nārāyaṇa) as the ultimate ground.
In the listening frame of the Mahābhārata, King Janamejaya questions the sage about the nature of ‘puruṣa’: whether there are many or one, and which is supreme. This question introduces the ensuing exposition on the meeting of divine powers and the praise of the highest Lord, providing a doctrinal pivot for the chapter’s theological narration.