Shloka 436
मातापितृपूजन-प्रधानधर्मः (Primacy of Filial Service) — Mārkaṇḍeya’s Account of the Vyādha’s Instruction
धौन्धुमारमुपाख्यानं॑ प्रथितं यस्य कर्मणा । तभीसे वे नरेश अपने नामके अनुसार वीरता आदि गुणोंसे युक्त हो भूमण्डलमें विख्यात हो गये। युधिष्ठिर! तुमने मुझसे जो पूछा था, वह सारा धुन्धुमारोपाख्यान मैंने तुमसे कह सुनाया। जिनके पराक्रमसे इस उपाख्यानकी प्रसिद्धि हुई है उन नरेशका भी परिचय दे दिया
dhaundhumāram upākhyānaṃ prathitaṃ yasya karmaṇā | yudhiṣṭhira! tvaṃ mayā yat pṛṣṭavān asi, tat sarvaṃ dhaundhumāropākhyānaṃ mayā te kathitaṃ | yeṣāṃ parākramena asyopākhyānasya prasiddhir abhavat, teṣāṃ nṛpāṇām api paricayo mayā dattah |
Mārkaṇḍeya nói: “Đây là câu chuyện lừng danh về Dhaundhumāra, được truyền tụng nhờ những công nghiệp của vị vua ấy. Hỡi Yudhiṣṭhira, điều con đã hỏi ta—nay ta đã thuật lại trọn vẹn cho con: toàn bộ giai thoại Dhaundhumāra. Và ta cũng đã giới thiệu những bậc quân vương mà nhờ dũng lực của họ, câu chuyện này trở nên vang danh.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ethical memory in terms of action: a king’s renown arises from karma (deeds) and parākrama (valor). It also models the didactic function of itihāsa—stories are told to preserve exemplars of conduct and to clarify how fame is earned through worthy action.
Mārkaṇḍeya concludes his narration to Yudhiṣṭhira, stating that he has fully recounted the Dhaundhumāra episode and has also identified the kings whose heroic exploits made the story famous.