Shloka 16
अध्याय ३५१ — उञ्छवृत्ति-व्रतसिद्धेः मानुषस्य परमगतिः
Sūrya–Nāga Dialogue on the Perfected Gleaner-Ascetic
शृणुध्वमाख्यानवरमिदमार्षेयमुत्तमम् । आदिकालोडद्धवं विप्रास्तपसाधिगतं मया,“विप्रगण! ऋषिसम्बन्धी यह उत्तम आख्यान सुनो। प्राचीन कालका यह वृत्तान्त मैंने तपस्याके द्वारा जाना है
śṛṇudhvam ākhyānavaram idam ārṣeyam uttamam | ādikāloḍḍhavam viprās tapasādhigataṃ mayā ||
毗舍波耶那说：“诸婆罗门啊，请听这最胜、最上乘的圣贤传说。此事出自太初之世，我以苦行之力而得知。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse establishes the authority of the forthcoming teaching: it is rooted in ṛṣi-tradition and validated by tapas (disciplined spiritual effort), implying that ethical instruction (dharma) should be received from reliable lineages and realized insight rather than mere opinion.
Vaiśampāyana addresses an audience of brahmins and introduces an ‘excellent’ ancient account, presenting it as a venerable seer-derived tradition that he has personally learned through ascetic attainment, thereby preparing listeners for a didactic episode in the Śānti Parva.