Shloka 68
Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 5 — Karmaphala-Nirdeśa and Phalāśruti (कर्मफलनिर्देशः फलश्रुतिश्च)
यो गोशतं कनकश्ड्रमयं ददाति विप्राय वेदविदुषे सुबहुश्रुताय । पुण्यां च भारतकथां सततं शृणोति तुल्यं फलं भवति तस्य च तस्य चैव
yo gośataṃ kanakaśṛṅgamayaṃ dadāti viprāya vedaviduṣe subahuśrutāya | puṇyāṃ ca bhārata-kathāṃ satataṃ śṛṇoti tulyaṃ phalaṃ bhavati tasya ca tasya caiva ||
বৈশম্পায়ন বললেন—যে ব্যক্তি বেদজ্ঞ, বহুশ্রুত ব্রাহ্মণকে শিংয়ে সোনা মণ্ডিত একশো গাভী দান করে, এবং যে ব্যক্তি নিরন্তর পুণ্যদায়িনী ভারত-কথা শ্রবণ করে—উভয়েরই ফল সমান হয়।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that devoted, continual listening to the sacred Mahābhārata narrative yields merit equal to an eminent act of charity—donating a hundred cows with gold-adorned horns to a truly learned, Veda-knowing Brahmin—thereby affirming śravaṇa (reverent hearing) as a powerful dharmic practice.
In Svargārohaṇa, Vaiśaṃpāyana is concluding with statements on the fruit of hearing the epic. Here he compares two meritorious acts—lavish dāna to a worthy recipient and regular listening to the Bhārata—declaring their results to be equal.