Shloka 24
भारतवर्षमहात्म्यम् — कर्मभूमित्वम्, नवभेदाः, कुलपर्वताः-नद्यः-जनपदाः, युगचक्रविशेषः, यज्ञपुरुषविष्णुपूजा
गायन्ति देवाः किल गीतकानि धन्यास् तु ये भारतभूमिभागे स्वर्गापवर्गास्पदहेतुभूते भवन्ति भूयः पुरुषाः सुरत्वात्
gāyanti devāḥ kila gītakāni dhanyās tu ye bhāratabhūmibhāge svargāpavargāspadahetubhūte bhavanti bhūyaḥ puruṣāḥ suratvāt
It is said the gods sing hymns of praise: “Blessed indeed are those born in the land of Bhārata; this very soil is the cause and foundation for attaining both heaven and final liberation (mokṣa). Even after gaining the state of the gods, they are born there again as humans, for that opportunity is exceedingly rare.”
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Sacred geography of Jambūdvīpa and the special status of Bhārata-varṣa
Teaching: Cosmological
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Human birth in Bhārata is exceptionally auspicious because it enables disciplined practice that can yield both heavenly merit and liberation.
Vedantic Theme: Moksha
Application: Treat embodied life as a time-bound chance for sādhana—prioritize devotion, dharma, and inner purification over mere enjoyment.
Vishishtadvaita: Affirms a graded soteriology where embodied practice (in a dharma-field like Bhārata) can culminate in release under the Lord’s grace.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse presents Bhārata-varṣa as the prime “karma-field” where actions and dharma can lead not only to svarga (heaven) but also to apavarga (final liberation), making it coveted even by the devas.
Parāśara indicates that devas, despite enjoying celestial status, seek rebirth as humans in Bhārata because liberation is most effectively pursued through embodied karma and dharma in this realm.
Implicitly, the verse frames cosmic hierarchy under divine order: worldly and heavenly attainments culminate in apavarga, ultimately aligned with Vishnu as the supreme ground of liberation in Vaishnava theology.