Shloka 52
Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 5 — Karmaphala-Nirdeśa and Phalāśruti (कर्मफलनिर्देशः फलश्रुतिश्च)
स्वर्गकामो लभेत् स्वर्ग जयकामो लभेज्जयम् | गर्भिणी लभते पुत्र कन््यां वा बहुभागिनीम्
svargakāmo labhet svargaṁ jayakāmo labhej jayam | garbhiṇī labhate putraṁ kanyāṁ vā bahubhāginīm ||
Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Quien anhela el cielo alcanza el cielo; quien anhela la victoria alcanza la victoria. Del mismo modo, una mujer encinta, por escuchar (o recitar) el Mahābhārata, obtiene un hijo digno —o, si no, una hija colmada de gran fortuna».
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a phalaśruti principle: devoted hearing/recitation of the Mahābhārata is a meritorious act whose fruits correspond to the listener’s intention—heaven for one seeking heaven, victory for one seeking victory, and auspicious progeny for a pregnant woman—thereby emphasizing faith, right aspiration, and the ethical power attributed to sacred narrative.
In the concluding section of the epic (Svargārohaṇa), Vaiśampāyana offers a traditional benedictory statement describing the benefits of listening to or reciting the Mahābhārata, presenting it as spiritually efficacious and auspicious for different aims.