आसीत्कृतयुगे राजा नाम्ना दुर्योधनो महान् । हस्त्यश्वरथसम्पूर्णो मेदिनीपरिपालकः
āsītkṛtayuge rājā nāmnā duryodhano mahān | hastyaśvarathasampūrṇo medinīparipālakaḥ
कृतयुगात दुर्योधन नावाचा एक महान राजा होता; त्याची सेना हत्ती, घोडे व रथांनी परिपूर्ण होती, तो पृथ्वीचा परिपालक शासक होता।
Mārkaṇḍeya
Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira
Scene: A grand Kṛta-yuga royal tableau: King Duryodhana on a throne or in procession, surrounded by elephants, horses, and chariots; banners and orderly ranks; the earth-protector motif (bhūmi as symbolic figure) subtly included to indicate ‘medinī-paripālaka’.
Puranic narratives often begin by situating events in cosmic time (yuga) and emphasizing dharmic rulership as a backdrop for sacred encounters.
The broader setting is the Revā (Narmadā) sacred region; no specific tīrtha is named in this verse.
None; this verse introduces the protagonist and his royal stature.