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,सौ गौओंके सींगमें सोना मढ़ाकर वेदवेत्ता एवं बहुज्ञ ब्राह्मणको जो गौएँ दान देता है और जो महाभारतकथाका प्रतिदिन श्रवणमात्र करता है, इन दोनोंमेंसे प्रत्येकको बराबर ही फल मिलता है
yo gośataṃ kanakaśṛṅgamayaṃ dadāti viprāya vedaviduṣe subahuśrutāya | puṇyāṃ ca bhārata-kathāṃ satataṃ śṛṇoti tulyaṃ phalaṃ bhavati tasya ca tasya caiva ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Wer einem Brahmanen, der die Veden kennt und reich an heiliger Überlieferung ist, hundert Kühe schenkt, deren Hörner mit Gold geschmückt sind, und wer fortwährend die heilige Erzählung des Bhārata hört — beide erlangen denselben geistlichen Lohn.“
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.