Shloka 1
Śrāddha-dvija-parīkṣā: Paṅkti-dūṣa and Paṅkti-pāvana (श्राद्धे द्विजपरीक्षा—पङ्क्तिदूष-पङ्क्तिपावन)
अपन का बछ। अर: सप्ताशीतितमोब ध्याय: विविध तिथियोंमें श्राद्ध करनेका फल युधिछिर उवाच चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य धर्मात्मन् धर्मा: प्रोक्ता यथा त्वया । तथैव मे श्राद्धविर्धि कृत्स्न॑ प्रब्रूहि पार्थिव
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca—Cāturvarṇyasya dharmātman dharmāḥ proktā yathā tvayā; tathaiva me śrāddha-vidhiṁ kṛtsnaṁ prabrūhi, pārthiva.
Yudhiṣṭhira thưa: “Bậc chính trực, đấng quân vương của cõi đất! Như ngài đã giảng rõ bổn phận của bốn giai tầng, xin nay cũng hãy nói cho ta trọn vẹn nghi thức đúng đắn của lễ śrāddha.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames śrāddha as a dharmic subject worthy of systematic instruction, placing ancestral rites alongside the broader duties of the four varṇas and emphasizing completeness and correctness in ritual practice.
In a teacher–disciple style exchange, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a righteous royal instructor and requests a full exposition of the rules and method of performing śrāddha, following an earlier discussion of cāturvarṇya-dharma.