Shloka 1

Devanagari script

हि न (0) है 7 नवाधिकद्विशततमो< ध्याय: धर्मकी सूक्ष्मता, शुभाशुभ कर्म और उनके फल तथा ब्रह्मकी प्राप्तिके उपायोंका वर्णन मार्कण्डेय उवाच धर्मव्याधस्तु निपुणं पुनरेव युधिष्ठिर । विप्रर्षभमुवाचेदं सर्वधर्मभूतां वर,मार्कण्डेयजी कहते हैं--सम्पूर्ण धर्मात्माओंमें श्रेष्ठ युधिष्ठिर! तदनन्तर धर्मव्याधने विप्रवर कौशिकसे पुन: कुशलतापूर्वक कहना आरम्भ किया

Transliteration

Mārkaṇḍeya uvāca — Dharmavyādhas tu nipuṇaṁ punar eva Yudhiṣṭhira, viprarṣabham uvācedaṁ sarvadharmabhṛtāṁ vara.

Translation

മാർകണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ യുധിഷ്ഠിരാ, ധർമ്മധാരികളിൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠനേ! സൂക്ഷ്മവിവേചനത്തിൽ നിപുണനായ ധർമ്മവ്യാധൻ വീണ്ടും ബ്രാഹ്മണവൃഷഭനായ കൗശികനോട് ഉപദേശം ആരംഭിച്ചു.

Word by Word

धर्मव्याधःthe dharma-hunter (Dharmavyadha)

तुbut/indeed

निपुणम्skillfully / in a proficient manner

पुनःagain

एवindeed/just

युधिष्ठिरO Yudhishthira

विप्रर्षभम्the bull among brahmins (best brahmin)

उवाचsaid/spoke

इदम्this

सर्वधर्मभूताम्one who has become/embodies all dharmas

वरO excellent one / O best

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Yudhiṣṭhira

Dharmavyādha

Kauśika (viprarṣabha)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a didactic exchange: true dharma is subtle and is conveyed through skilled instruction, emphasizing discernment and the idea that ethical authority can arise from lived righteousness, not merely social rank.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya narrates to Yudhiṣṭhira that the Dharmavyādha resumes speaking to the brāhmaṇa Kauśika, continuing a moral discourse on dharma.