Shloka 873
Atithi-prāpti and the Brāhmaṇa’s Deliberation on Triadic Dharma (अतिथिप्राप्तिः धर्मत्रयविचारश्च)
कथं कर्तव्यमस्माभिर्भगवंस्तद् वदस्व न: । तब देवताओं और देवर्षियोंने उपर्युक्त बात कहनेवाले गुरुस्वरूप भगवान्से कहा --“भगवन्! जब कलियुगमें जहाँ-कहीं भी धर्मका एक ही चरण अवशिष्ट रहेगा
kathaṁ kartavyam asmābhir bhagavaṁs tad vadasva naḥ |
Disse Vaiśampāyana: Então os deuses e os rishis celestes dirigiram-se ao Senhor Bem-aventurado, mestre que proferira as palavras acima: “Ó Senhor, dize-nos o que devemos fazer. Quando, na era de Kali, em qualquer parte do mundo, restar apenas um quarto do dharma, que rumo de ação nos cabe?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical inquiry: when righteousness declines drastically in Kali-yuga, one should seek clear guidance on one’s duty (kartavya) from a legitimate spiritual authority, emphasizing deliberate, dharma-centered action even amid moral decay.
The narrator reports that the assembled questioners address a revered, guru-like Lord and ask for instruction—specifically, what they should do when Kali-yuga arrives and dharma survives only in a minimal fraction.