Shloka 28
Adhyāya 142: Cyavana, the Devas’ Arrogance, and Vāyu’s Counsel on Protecting Brāhmaṇas
एते चान्ये च बहवो दानेन तपसा च ह । युधिष्ठिर गताः स्वर्ग विवर्तन्ते पुनः पुन:,युधिष्ठिर! ये तथा और भी बहुत-से राजा दान और तपस्याके प्रभावसे बारंबार स्वर्गलोकको जाते और पुनः वहाँसे इस लोकमें लौट आते हैं
ete cānye ca bahavo dānena tapasā ca ha | yudhiṣṭhira gatāḥ svargaṃ vivartante punaḥ punaḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: “O Yudhiṣṭhira, these and many other kings, by the power of charity and austerity, attain heaven; yet again and again they return from there to this world.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Merit gained through charity (dāna) and austerity (tapas) can lead to heavenly enjoyment, but such results are not permanent; after the merit is exhausted, one returns again to worldly existence. The verse highlights the limited, cyclical nature of reward-based virtue when it remains within the sphere of karma.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira in the Anuśāsana Parva, he points to examples of many kings who reached heaven through meritorious deeds, yet repeatedly returned to this world—underscoring that svarga is a temporary destination rather than final liberation.