वाचको भरतमश्रेष्ठ व्यक्ताक्षरपदस्वर: | भविष्यं श्रावयेद् विद्वान् भारतं भरतर्षभ
vācako bharataśreṣṭha vyaktākṣarapadasvaraḥ | bhaviṣyaṃ śrāvayed vidvān bhārataṃ bharatarṣabha ||
हे भरतश्रेष्ठ! कथावाचक विद्वान असावा आणि प्रत्येक अक्षर, पद व स्वर स्पष्ट उच्चारून ‘भारत’ श्रवण करावा; हे भरतवंशश्रेष्ठ! तो भविष्यपर्वही (हरिवंश-परंपरेनुसार) सांगावा.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse teaches the dharma of recitation: sacred narrative should be transmitted by a learned narrator with precise pronunciation—clear syllables, words, and accents—so that meaning and tradition are preserved without distortion.
Vaiśampāyana lays down a guideline about how the Bhārata should be publicly recited: the storyteller must be competent and articulate, and should recite the epic (and related ‘Bhaviṣya’ material) in a clear, disciplined manner.