व्यास उवाच । श्रूयतां राजशार्दूल पुण्यमाख्यानमुत्तमम् । स्तूयमानो । जगन्नाथ इदं वचनमब्रवीत्
vyāsa uvāca | śrūyatāṃ rājaśārdūla puṇyamākhyānamuttamam | stūyamāno | jagannātha idaṃ vacanamabravīt
ویاس نے کہا: اے بادشاہوں کے شیر! یہ نہایت اعلیٰ اور پُنیہ بھرا بیان سنو۔ جب جگن ناتھ کی ستوتی ہو رہی تھی تو اس نے یہ کلمات ارشاد فرمائے۔
Vyāsa
Listener: A king (rājaśārdūla)
Scene: Vyāsa as narrator addressing a royal listener seated respectfully; behind them, a quiet āśrama setting; the transition to Jagannātha’s speech is anticipated.
Śravaṇa (devout listening) to sacred narratives is itself meritorious and prepares the listener for dharmic instruction.
No specific tīrtha is named in this opening verse; it frames a holy discourse by Jagannātha.
Hearing (śravaṇa) the purāṇic account is implicitly prescribed as a dharmic practice yielding puṇya.