Shloka 1
Marutta–Indra Rivalry and Bṛhaspati’s Priestly Refusal (मरुत्तेन्द्रस्पर्धा—बृहस्पतेः पौरोहित्यनिश्चयः)
पञठ्चमो<ध्याय: इन्द्रकी प्रेरणासे बृहस्पतिजीका मनुष्यको यज्ञ न करानेकी प्रतिज्ञा करना युधिछिर उवाच कथंवीर्य:ः समभवत् स राजा वदतां वर । कथं च जातरूपेण समयुज्यत स द्विज
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: kathaṁ vīryaḥ samabhavat sa rājā vadatāṁ vara | kathaṁ ca jātarūpeṇa samayujyata sa dvija ||
Yudhiṣṭhira disse: “Ó melhor dos oradores, como veio aquele rei a possuir tal vigor? E, ó brāhmaṇa, como foi ele dotado de ouro?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models dhārmic inquiry: a righteous king seeks to understand the sources of power and wealth—implying that true royal greatness should be grounded in legitimate causes (merit, right counsel, and proper conduct), not mere possession.
Yudhiṣṭhira questions the narrator about King Marutta—specifically, the nature of his extraordinary prowess and the means by which he obtained or became endowed with gold—setting up the ensuing account.