अश्रमवासिनां विषादः — Lament in Hastināpura after the Elders’ Forest Withdrawal
श्रुत्वा समागममिमं सर्वेषां वस्तुतो नूप
śrutvā samāgamam imaṃ sarveṣāṃ vastuto nūpa
ఓ నృపా! వారందరి ఈ సమాగమము యథార్థముగా జరిగినట్లు విని…
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The line foregrounds fidelity to truth (vastutaḥ): the narrator emphasizes that what follows is to be understood as an accurate account, reinforcing the ethical value of truthful transmission of events to a ruler.
Vaiśampāyana addresses the king and transitions the story by saying that, after hearing about a significant meeting/assembly of all parties, he proceeds to relate what occurred (the verse is a connective lead-in to the next statement).