Shloka 21

Devanagari script

रेशमी वस्त्र, सुन्दर आभूषण, वाहन, आसन और उत्तम खान-पान आदि सब कुछ तपस्याका ही फल है ।। मनो<नुकूला: प्रमदा रूपवत्य: सहस्रश: । वास: प्रासादपृषछ्ठे च तत्‌ सर्व तपस: फलम्‌,मनके अनुकूल चलनेवाली सहस्रों रूपवती युवतियाँ और महलोंका निवास आदि सब कुछ तपस्याका ही फल है

Transliteration

mano'nukūlāḥ pramadā rūpavatyaḥ sahasraśaḥ | vāsaḥ prāsāda-pṛṣṭhe ca tat sarvaṁ tapasaḥ phalam ||

Translation

Parāśara said: “Silken garments, beautiful ornaments, conveyances, seats, and the finest food and drink—these are all the fruits of austerity. And thousands of beautiful young women who move in accordance with one’s wishes, residence upon the terraces of palaces, and all such enjoyments—these are entirely the fruits of austerity.”

Word by Word

मनःmind

अनुकूलाःfavorable, pleasing

प्रमदाःwomen, young women

रूपवत्यःbeautiful, possessing beauty

सहस्रशःby thousands, in thousands

वासःdwelling, residence

प्रासादपृष्ठेon/at the palace-terrace (palace-top)

चand

तत्that, all that

सर्वम्all

तपसःof austerity, of penance

फलम्fruit, result

Speaker

पराशर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Parāśara

pramadāḥ (beautiful women)

prāsāda (palace)

vāsa (residence)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse states that worldly luxuries—beauty, companionship, and palatial living—can arise as results of tapas, prompting ethical reflection on whether austerity should be pursued for such rewards or for higher spiritual aims.

What is happening in the narrative?

Parāśara is speaking within the Śānti Parva’s didactic discourse, describing the kinds of desirable worldly outcomes that are said to follow from austerity.