व्यास उवाच आसीत् कृतयुगे तात मनुर्दण्डधर: प्रभु: । तस्य पुत्रो महाबाहु: प्रसन्धिरिति विश्वुतः,व्यासजीने कहा--तात! सत्ययुगमें राजदण्ड धारण करनेवाले शक्तिशाली वैवस्वत मनु एक प्रसिद्ध राजा थे। उनके पुत्र महाबाहु प्रसन्धिके नामसे विख्यात थे
vyāsa uvāca āsīt kṛtayuge tāta manur daṇḍadharaḥ prabhuḥ | tasya putro mahābāhuḥ prasandhir iti viśrutaḥ ||
ວະຍາສ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ລູກເອີຍ, ໃນຍຸກກຣິຕະ ມີມະນຸ (ໄວວັສວະຕະ) ຜູ້ມີອຳນາດ ເປັນຈອມກະສັດ ແລະເປັນຜູ້ຖືຄັນທັນດາ—ຄທາອຳນາດແຫ່ງການລົງໂທດ. ບຸດຜູ້ແຂນແຂງຂອງທ່ານ ໂດ່ງດັງໃນໂລກດ້ວຍນາມ ປຣະສັນທິ»។
व्यास उवाच
The verse frames ideal governance as dharmic kingship: the ruler is ‘daṇḍadhara’, one who upholds order through disciplined, just punishment, especially emblematic of the Kṛta (truthful) age. Authority is presented as responsibility rather than mere power.
Vyāsa begins a traditional account by situating it in the Kṛta Yuga and introducing a royal lineage: the sovereign Manu and his famed son Prasandhi, setting the stage for subsequent events connected to this genealogy.