Shloka 15
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 3 — Janamejaya’s Rite, Dhaumya’s Parīkṣā, and Uttanka’s Kuṇḍala Quest (सर्पसत्रप्रस्तावना–गुरुपरीक्षा–उत्तङ्कोपाख्यान)
स नमस्कृत्य तमृषिमुवाच भगवन्नयं तव पुत्रो मम पुरोहितो$स्त्विति,राजाने पहले महर्षिको नमस्कार करके कहा--“भगवन्! आपके ये पुत्र सोमश्रवा मेरे पुरोहित हों!
sa namaskṛtya tam ṛṣim uvāca—bhagavann ayaṃ tava putro mama purohito 'stv iti
రాజు ముందుగా ఆ ఋషికి నమస్కరించి ఇలా అన్నాడు—“భగవన్! మీ ఈ కుమారుడు సోమశ్రవా నా పురోహితుడుగా ఉండుగాక.”
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should ground his authority in dharma by honoring spiritual wisdom and appointing a qualified purohita who can guide ritual, ethics, and right conduct; humility before sages is presented as a virtue of kingship.
Rāma first offers respectful obeisance to a sage and then formally requests that the sage’s son be appointed as his purohita (royal/family priest), establishing a relationship of religious counsel and ritual support for his rule.