Shloka 17
Adhyāya 57: Tapas–Dāna Phala
On the Fruits of Austerity and Giving
अहो सह शरीरेण प्राप्तो5स्मि परमां गतिम् । उत्तरान् वा कुरून् पुण्यानथवाप्यमरावतीम्,“अहो! क्या मैं इसी शरीरसे परम गतिको प्राप्त हो गया हूँ अथवा पुण्यमय उत्तरकुरु या अमरावतीपुरीमें-आ पहुँचा हूँ
aho saha śarīreṇa prāpto’smi paramāṃ gatim | uttarān vā kurūn puṇyān athavāpy amarāvatīm ||
Bhīṣma said: “Ah! Have I, with this very body, attained the highest state? Or have I arrived in the holy land of the Northern Kurus—or even in Amarāvatī, the city of the gods?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights awe at the possibility of attaining the ‘highest goal’ (paramā gati) even while embodied, and it contrasts supreme spiritual attainment with renowned realms of merit (Uttarakuru) and heaven (Amarāvatī). It implicitly elevates liberation/ultimate state above even the most exalted heavenly destinations.
Bhīṣma, speaking in Anuśāsana Parva, expresses astonishment at his present experience, wondering whether he has reached the supreme state while still in his body, or whether he has been transported to famed blessed regions such as Uttarakuru or Indra’s Amarāvatī.