Shloka 61
देवतापितृप्रश्नः — Nārada at Badarīāśrama: the ultimate referent of daiva and pitṛ worship
प्रजापते: सलोकतां बृहस्पते: शतक्रतो: । व्रजन्ति ते परां गतिं गृहस्थधर्मसेतुभि:,गृहस्थ-धर्मकी मर्यादाका पालन करनेवाले लोग प्रजापति, बृहस्पति अथवा इन्द्रके लोकमें उत्तम गतिको प्राप्त होते हैं
Prajāpateḥ salokatāṃ Bṛhaspateḥ Śatakratoḥ | vrajanti te parāṃ gatiṃ gṛhasthadharma-setubhiḥ ||
Vyāsa says: “Those who uphold the boundaries of the householder’s dharma—treating it as a bridge that sustains society—attain the highest course after death, reaching the worlds of Prajāpati, Bṛhaspati, or Śatakratu (Indra).”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Faithful observance of gṛhastha-dharma is not merely worldly; it functions as a sustaining ‘bridge’ for society and becomes a powerful spiritual means, leading to an exalted posthumous destiny—symbolized by attaining the worlds of Prajāpati, Bṛhaspati, or Indra.
In the didactic setting of the Śānti Parva, Vyāsa is presenting a doctrinal evaluation of the āśrama system, praising the householder stage and declaring the high rewards promised to those who preserve its moral boundaries and responsibilities.