Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 18

Plakṣaprasravaṇa–Kārapacana tīrtha-varṇana and Nārada’s war briefing (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 53)

Devanagari script

देहत्यागेन ते सर्वे यास्यन्ति ब्रह्मण: क्षयम्‌ भूतलका कोई भी स्थान इससे बढ़कर पुण्यदायक नहीं होगा। जो मनुष्य यहाँ रहकर बड़ी भारी तपस्या करेंगे, वे सब लोग देहत्यागके पश्चात्‌ ब्रह्मलोकमें जायँगे ।।

Transliteration

dehatyāgena te sarve yāsyanti brahmaṇaḥ kṣayam | bhūtalakā na kaścid api sthānam asmād adhikaṃ puṇyadāyakaṃ bhaviṣyati | ye manuṣyā iha sthitvā mahāntam tapas cariṣyanti te sarve dehatyāgāt paraṃ brahmaloke yāsyanti || ye punaḥ puṇyabhājo vai dānaṃ dāsyanti mānavāḥ |

Translation

قال راما: «بترك الأجساد سيبلغون جميعًا المقامَ غيرَ الفاني لبَرَهمَن (Brahman). وعلى هذه الأرض لن يكون موضعٌ أشدَّ تطهيرًا وبركةً من هذا. من أقام هنا ومارس تقشّفًا عظيمًا، فإنه بعد الموت يذهب إلى عالم بَرَهمَا. ثم إن الناسَ أهلَ الفضل سيبذلون العطاءَ والصدقة (dāna) حقًّا.»

Word by Word

• देहत्यागेन: by the abandonment of the body (by death)
• देहत्यागेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहत्याग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यास्यन्ति: will go
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (याति)
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), Third, Plural

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahman / of Brahmā
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• क्षयम्: abode; state; (lit.) dwelling/decay (context: destination)
• क्षयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ये: who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पुनः: again; further
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• पुण्यभाजः: partakers of merit; meritorious
• पुण्यभाजः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्यभाज्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• दानम्: a gift; charity
• दानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दास्यन्ति: will give
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (ददाति)
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), Third, Plural

• मानवाः: men; humans
• मानवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Brahman
• Brahmaloka
• Bhūtala (earth)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse elevates a particular sacred place as uniquely merit-giving: disciplined austerity performed there and a life oriented to charity lead to a superior post-mortem destiny—attainment of Brahmaloka/imperishable spiritual state—thus linking place, practice (tapas), and ethical action (dāna) within dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Rāma is describing the extraordinary sanctity of a location, declaring that no other earthly site surpasses it in conferring merit. He explains that those who stay there and perform intense austerities will, upon death, reach Brahmaloka, and he further notes that meritorious people will engage in acts of giving there.