Shloka 2
Dharma-vyādha on the Subtlety of Dharma, Karma, and the Continuity of the Jīva (Āraṇyaka-parva 200)
वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! ऋषियों तथा पाण्डवोंने मार्कण्डेयजीसे पूछा --'भगवन्! कोई आपसे भी पहलेका उत्पन्न चिरजीवी इस जगतमें है या नहीं? ।। स तानुवाचास्ति खलु राजर्षिरिन्द्रद्मम्मो नाम क्षीणपुण्यस्त्रिदिवात् प्रच्युतः कीर्तिस्ति व्युच्छिन्नेति स मामुपातिष्ठदथ प्रत्यभिजानाति मां भवानिति,मार्कण्डेयजीने कहा--'है क्यों नहीं, सुनो। एक समय राजर्षि इन्द्रद्युम्न अपना पुण्य क्षीण हो जानेके कारण यह कहकर स्वर्गलोकसे नीचे गिरा दिये गये थे कि “जगतमें तुम्हारी कीर्ति नष्ट हो गयी है।” स्वर्गसे गिरनेपर वे मेरे पास आये और बोले--'“क्या आप मुझे पहचानते हैं?”
vaiśampāyana uvāca—janamejaya! ṛṣayaś ca pāṇḍavāś ca mārkaṇḍeyam apṛcchan—“bhagavan! ko ’pi tvatto ’pi pūrva-utpannaś cirajīvī ’smin jagati vidyate na vā?” sa tān uvāca—“asti khalu rājārṣir indradyumno nāma; kṣīṇa-puṇyas tridivāt pracyutaḥ. ‘kīrtis te vyucchinnā’ iti. sa mām upātiṣṭhad atha—‘pratyabhijānāti māṃ bhavān?’”
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Janamejaya, os sábios e os Pāṇḍavas perguntaram a Mārkaṇḍeya: ‘Venerável senhor, existe neste mundo algum ser de longa vida que tenha nascido ainda antes de vós, ou não?’ Ele respondeu: ‘De fato existe. Houve um sábio régio chamado Indradyumna. Quando seu mérito se esgotou, ele caiu do céu, despedido com a sentença: “Tua fama no mundo foi cortada.” Depois de cair do reino celeste, veio a mim e perguntou: “Reconheces-me?”’”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Merit (puṇya) is finite when tied to results; even heavenly status can end when merit is exhausted. Worldly fame (kīrti) is also fragile—its loss can precipitate decline—so dharma should be pursued for its intrinsic rightness rather than for reputation or reward.
The sages and the Pāṇḍavas ask Mārkaṇḍeya whether anyone older and long-lived exists. Mārkaṇḍeya answers by introducing the royal sage Indradyumna, who, after his merit ran out, fell from heaven with the declaration that his fame had vanished, and then approached Mārkaṇḍeya asking if he was recognized.