Shloka 8
जपयोगयोः तुल्यफलनिर्णयः
Adhyāya 193: Adjudication of the Comparable Fruits of Japa and Yoga
भूगुरुवाच उत्तरे हिमवत्पाश्वे पुण्ये सर्वगुणान्विते । पुण्य: क्षेम्यश्न॒ काम्यश्च॒ स परो लोक उच्यते
bhṛgur uvāca uttare himavat-pārśve puṇye sarva-guṇānvitē | puṇyaḥ kṣemyaś ca kāmyaś ca sa paro loka ucyate ||
ভৃগু বললেন—হে মুনি! উত্তরে হিমালয়ের পার্শ্বদেশে এক পুণ্যভূমি আছে, যা সর্বগুণে সমন্বিত। সেই পবিত্র ভূমিতে অবস্থিত রাজ্যই ‘পরলোক’ নামে কথিত—তা কল্যাণকর, নিরাপত্তাদায়ক এবং কাম্য।
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links moral-spiritual merit (puṇya) with the idea of a ‘higher world’: a realm characterized by purity, welfare (kṣema), and desirability. It frames sacred geography as a symbolic and practical pointer toward ethical living and aspirational spiritual goals.
In a didactic dialogue within Śānti Parva, Bhṛgu describes a supremely auspicious region near the northern Himālaya and identifies it as a ‘higher world,’ emphasizing its sanctity and beneficial qualities.