Shloka 96

Devanagari script

ततो व्यासस्थली नाम यत्र व्यासेन धीमता,अभिगत्वा स्थलीं तस्य गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्‌ । तत्पश्चात्‌ व्यासस्थलीमें जाय, जहाँ परम बुद्धिमान्‌ व्यासने पुत्रशोकसे संतप्त हो शरीर त्याग देनेका विचार किया था। राजेन्द्र! उस समय उन्हें देवताओंने पुनः उठाया था। उस स्थलमें जानेसे सहख्न गोदानका फल मिलता है

Transliteration

tato vyāsasthalī nāma yatra vyāsena dhīmatā, abhigatvā sthalīṁ tasya go-sahasra-phalaṁ labhet |

Translation

Then comes the place called Vyāsasthalī. It is the spot where the supremely wise Vyāsa, tormented by grief for his son, resolved to abandon his body, but the gods restrained him and raised him up again. O best of kings, merely visiting that sacred ground is said to yield the merit equal to gifting a thousand cows.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

व्यासस्थलीthe place called Vyāsa-sthalī

नामby name, called

यत्रwhere

व्यासेनby Vyāsa

धीमताwise, intelligent

अभिगत्वाhaving gone to, having reached

स्थलीम्the place/ground

तस्यof that (place)

गोसहस्रफलम्the merit equivalent to a thousand cows (as a gift)

लभेत्would obtain, may obtain

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Vyāsasthalī

Devatāḥ (the gods)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

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 passage links sacred remembrance and pilgrimage with ethical merit (puṇya), while also highlighting a humane lesson: even a great sage like Vyāsa can be overwhelmed by personal loss, yet dharma is restored through divine restraint and continued life-purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker points out a holy site named Vyāsasthalī, explaining its origin: Vyāsa, grieving for his son, contemplated giving up his body there, but the gods intervened and revived/raised him. Visiting this place is said to grant the merit equivalent to donating a thousand cows.