ततो ब्रह्मसुतो ज्येष्ठः श्वेतमाल्यानुलेपनः । दक्षिणं बाहुमुद्धत्य धर्मो वचनमब्रवीत्
tato brahmasuto jyeṣṭhaḥ śvetamālyānulepanaḥ | dakṣiṇaṃ bāhumuddhatya dharmo vacanamabravīt
Затем Дхарма — старший сын Брахмы, украшенный белыми гирляндами и благовониями, — поднял правую руку и произнёс такие слова.
Dharma (Dharma-deva)
Scene: Dharma, radiant and serene, adorned in white garlands and sandal/unguents, raises his right arm in a formal gesture to speak, commanding the assembly’s attention.
Dharma—embodiment of righteous order—formally begins instruction, signaling that sacred places are upheld by right conduct.
The passage introduces the episode that will explain Stambhatīrtha (the tīrtha associated with pride and its consequence).
None in this verse; it is a narrative setup indicating the start of Dharma’s pronouncement.