Shloka 21

Devanagari script

इन्द्रकन्याभिरूढं च विमानं लभते नर: । सागरस्य च पर्यन्ते वासवं लोकमावसेत्‌

Transliteration

indrakanyābhirūḍhaṃ ca vimānaṃ labhate naraḥ | sāgarasya ca paryante vāsavaṃ lokam āvaset |

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “A man attains a celestial aerial car (vimāna) mounted and attended by the daughters of Indra, and at the farthest shore of the ocean he comes to dwell in the world of Vāsava (Indra).”

Word by Word

• इन्द्रकन्याभिः: by Indra's maidens (apsarases)
• इन्द्रकन्याभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रकन्या
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• आरूढम्: mounted/ascended
• आरूढम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-रुह्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• विमानम्: a celestial car
• विमानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• लभते: obtains
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सागरस्य: of the ocean
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• पर्यन्ते: at the boundary/shore
• पर्यन्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्यन्त
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• वासवम्: of Indra; belonging to Vāsava
• वासवम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वासव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• लोकम्: world
• लोकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आवसेत्: may dwell/should reside
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-वस्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Vāsava)
• Indra's daughters (Indrakanyāḥ)
• Vimāna (celestial vehicle)
• Ocean (Sāgara)
• Vāsava-loka (Indra's realm)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that dharmic, meritorious living yields exalted posthumous results—honored conveyance by divine beings and residence in Indra’s heavenly realm—illustrating the Mahābhārata’s ethic of karma and its fruits.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is describing the heavenly reward promised to a person (in the surrounding discourse on dharma and its fruits): such a person gains a divine vimāna attended by Indra’s maidens and reaches the realm of Vāsava at the ocean’s far boundary.