युधिष्ठिर उवाच । दारुकेण कथं तात तपश्चीर्णं पुरानघ । विधानं श्रोतुमिच्छामि त्वत्सकाशाद्द्विजोत्तम
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | dārukeṇa kathaṃ tāta tapaścīrṇaṃ purānagha | vidhānaṃ śrotumicchāmi tvatsakāśāddvijottama
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai tuan yang dimuliakan, wahai yang purba lagi suci tanpa noda, bagaimana dahulu Dāruka melakukan tapa? Wahai yang terbaik di antara para dvija, aku ingin mendengar tata caranya daripadamu.”
Yudhiṣṭhira
Tirtha: Dārutīrtha
Type: ghat
Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya
Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira respectfully questions an aged sage (Mārkaṇḍeya), hands folded; the river tīrtha lies nearby, indicating the inquiry is prompted by place and legend.
Dharma is to be learned through humble inquiry—seeking not only stories but the correct method (vidhāna) behind spiritual attainment.
The verse points toward Dārutīrtha indirectly through Dāruka’s tapas, but does not name the site explicitly here.
A request to hear the vidhāna (proper procedure) of Dāruka’s tapas; the actual prescription follows in subsequent verses.