Shloka 1
Śibi’s Weighing of Dharma
The Hawk and the Dove Trial) — शिबेर्धर्मतुला (श्येन-कपोतोक्तिः
लोमशजी कहते हैं--भारत! यहाँ शरीर छूट जानेपर मनुष्य स्वर्गलोकमें जाते हैं; इसलिये हजारों इस तीर्थमें मरनेके लिये आकर निवास करते हैं
Lomaśa uvāca—Bhārata! iha śarīre chūte manuṣyāḥ svargalokaṁ gacchanti; tasmāt sahasraśo ’smin tīrthe maraṇāya āgatya nivasantīti.
Lomaśa said: “O descendant of Bharata, when the body is cast off here, people attain the heavenly world. Therefore, thousands come and dwell at this sacred ford, seeking to die here.”
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage conveys the tīrtha-māhātmya idea: dying at a highly sanctified pilgrimage site is believed to confer extraordinary spiritual merit, even leading to heaven. It reflects the Mahābhārata’s broader ethic that place, intention, and dharmic orientation can shape one’s post-mortem destiny.
During the Pāṇḍavas’ forest pilgrimage, the sage Lomaśa explains to Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as “Bhārata”) the special power of the current sacred ford: people flock there in great numbers and reside there specifically hoping to die at that spot, believing it grants passage to Svarga.