Shloka 1

धौन्धुमारोपाख्यानम्

Dhaundhumāra-Upākhyāna: The Slaying of Dhundhu and the Epithet ‘Dhundhumāra’

Devanagari script

हि ० आय न () अआटआ अपसा चतुन॑वर्त्याधेकशततमो< ध्याय: क्षत्रिय राजाओंका महत्त्व--सुहोत्र और शिबिकी प्रशंसा वैशम्पायन उवाच ततः पाण्डवा: पुनर्मार्कण्डेयमूचु:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! तदनन्तर पाण्डवोंने पुनः मार्कण्डेयजीसे प्रश्न किया

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: tataḥ Pāṇḍavāḥ punar Mārkaṇḍeyam ūcuḥ; Janamejaya! tad-anantaram Pāṇḍavaiḥ punaḥ Mārkaṇḍeyaṁ prati praśnaḥ kṛtaḥ.

Translation

毗舍波耶那说道：“于是，般度五子又一次向摩尔甘德耶请问。噢，阇那美阇耶！在那之后，般度五子再次把他们的疑问呈于圣者摩尔甘德耶。”叙事由此开启对法（dharma）与典范王道的再度探求，表明伦理的明悟乃通过反复向证悟的先知请益而得。

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaiśampāyana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular

• ततः: then/thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• पाण्डवाः: the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• मार्कण्डेयम्: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ऊचुः: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Janamejaya
• Pāṇḍavas
• Mārkaṇḍeya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is approached through humble, repeated inquiry: even great heroes seek clarification from a sage, showing that ethical discernment is refined by questioning and listening to authoritative wisdom.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within the Vaiśampāyana–Janamejaya frame, the Pāṇḍavas again turn to the sage Mārkaṇḍeya and pose a further question, setting up the next instruction or exemplary story about righteous conduct and royal greatness.