राजोवाच । रहस्यं परमं चैव यत्पृष्टोऽहं द्विजोत्तमाः । युष्माभिः कीर्तयिष्यामि तथाप्यखिलमेव हि
rājovāca | rahasyaṃ paramaṃ caiva yatpṛṣṭo'haṃ dvijottamāḥ | yuṣmābhiḥ kīrtayiṣyāmi tathāpyakhilameva hi
O rei disse: “Ó melhores entre os dvijas, já que me perguntastes sobre este segredo supremo, eu o proclamarei para vós—sim, relatarei tudo por inteiro.”
Rājā (the King)
Listener: dvijottamāḥ (brāhmaṇas)
Scene: A king, seated formally, addresses a group of brāhmaṇas; his right hand raised in a gesture of assurance as he promises to reveal a supreme secret.
Sacred knowledge about tīrthas is treated as a ‘supreme secret’ and should be transmitted fully and responsibly to worthy listeners.
This verse functions as a transition into the forthcoming tīrtha-rahasya; the specific site is clarified in the surrounding narrative of the Tīrthamāhātmya.
No specific rite is prescribed in this verse; it introduces an authoritative narration that will typically include snāna, dāna, and tīrtha-sevā in subsequent verses.