Mahabharata — Shanti Parva, Shloka 873
Atithi-prāpti and the Brāhmaṇa’s Deliberation on Triadic Dharma (अतिथिप्राप्तिः धर्मत्रयविचारश्च)
कथं कर्तव्यमस्माभिर्भगवंस्तद् वदस्व न: । तब देवताओं और देवर्षियोंने उपर्युक्त बात कहनेवाले गुरुस्वरूप भगवान्से कहा --“भगवन्! जब कलियुगमें जहाँ-कहीं भी धर्मका एक ही चरण अवशिष्ट रहेगा
kathaṁ kartavyam asmābhir bhagavaṁs tad vadasva naḥ |
毗湿摩波耶那说道：于是诸天与天仙（devarṣi）对那位如师之世尊——方才宣说此理者——说道：“世尊啊，请告知我们当如何行事。待至迦梨之世，世间无论何处，法（dharma）仅余一分之时，我们应当遵循何道？”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical inquiry: when righteousness declines drastically in Kali-yuga, one should seek clear guidance on one’s duty (kartavya) from a legitimate spiritual authority, emphasizing deliberate, dharma-centered action even amid moral decay.
The narrator reports that the assembled questioners address a revered, guru-like Lord and ask for instruction—specifically, what they should do when Kali-yuga arrives and dharma survives only in a minimal fraction.