Shloka 7
Adhyāya 60: Dāna vs. Yajña—Royal Giving, Protection, and Karmic Share
रहस्यमद्भुतं चैव शृणु वक्ष्यामि यत् त्वयि । या गति: प्राप्यते येन प्रेत्यभावे विशाम्पते,'प्रजानाथ! मैं तुम्हें एक अदभुत रहस्यकी बात बताता हूँ। मनुष्यको मरनेपर किस कर्मसे कौन-सी गति मिलती है--इस विषयको सुनो
rahasyam adbhutaṃ caiva śṛṇu vakṣyāmi yat tvayi | yā gatiḥ prāpyate yena pretyabhāve viśāmpate ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Listen, O lord of the people; I shall tell you a wondrous secret. Hear this: by which deeds a person attains which destiny after death.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse introduces an esoteric ethical doctrine: specific actions (karma) lead to specific post-death destinies (gati). It frames the discussion as a ‘wondrous secret’ meant to guide conduct by linking moral causality with outcomes beyond this life.
Vaiśampāyana addresses a ruler (viśāmpati) and signals the start of an instructive section. He invites the listener to hear a confidential teaching explaining how different deeds determine the state one reaches after death.