Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 12 - Chapter 1 - Verse 1

Sanskrit:

श्रीशौनक उवाचसूत जीव चिरं साधो वद नो वदतां वर ।तमस्यपारे भ्रमतां नृणां त्वं पारदर्शन: ॥ १ ॥

ITRANS:

śrī-śaunaka uvācasūta jīva ciraṁ sādhovada no vadatāṁ varatamasy apāre bhramatāṁnṝṇāṁ tvaṁ pāra-darśanaḥ

Translation:

Śrī Śaunaka said: O Sūta, may you live a long life! O saintly one, best of speakers, please continue speaking to us. Indeed, only you can show men the path out of the ignorance in which they are wandering.

Purport:

According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the sages saw that Sūta Gosvāmī was about to end his narration of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and thus they urged him to first tell the story of Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi.