Shloka 3
को धर्म: सर्वधर्माणां भवत: परमो मतः । कि जपन् मुच्यते जन्तुर्जन्मसंसारबन्धनात्,आप समस्त धर्मोमें किस धर्मको परम श्रेष्ठ मानते हैं? तथा किसका जप करनेसे जीव जन्म-मरणरूप संसार-बन्धनसे मुक्त हो जाता है?
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | ko dharmaḥ sarvadharmāṇāṃ bhavataḥ paramo mataḥ | kiṃ japan mucyate jantur janma-saṃsāra-bandhanāt ||
ຢຸທິສຖິຣະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໃນທັມມະທັງປວງ, ທ່ານເຫັນວ່າທັມມະໃດເປັນທັມມະສູງສຸດ? ແລະ ດ້ວຍການພຶມພໍາ (japa) ອັນໃດ ສັດມີຊີວິດຈຶ່ງຈະພົ້ນຈາກພັນທະແຫ່ງການເກີດ ແລະ ວົງຈອນແຫ່ງສັງສານ?»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a classical dharma-and-mokṣa inquiry: it asks for the highest guiding principle among all duties and for the liberating practice (japa) that can cut the bondage of repeated birth and worldly entanglement.
Yudhiṣṭhira, seeking authoritative guidance, respectfully questions his interlocutor about the supreme dharma and the specific recitation that leads to freedom from saṃsāra, setting up a teaching on devotion, righteousness, and liberation.