Shloka 32
Brāhmaṇa-mahattva and Atithi-Dharma
Brahmagītā: Praise of Brāhmaṇas and norms of honor
देवगन्धर्वसंघातैरप्सरोभिश्षू सर्वतः । नृत्तश्नैवोपगीतश्च पितामह इव प्रभु:
deva-gandharva-saṅghātair apsarobhiś ca sarvataḥ | nṛttaś caivopagītaś ca pitāmaha iva prabhuḥ ||
Des troupes de Gandharvas divins et d’Apsaras l’entourèrent de toutes parts, chantant et dansant. Au milieu d’eux, il rayonnait de majesté, tel le Grand-Père Brahmā lui-même. Quiconque écoute et raconte sans cesse ce récit du roi-sage Vṛṣadarbha (Uśīnara) devient, en ce monde, un homme de mérite.
श्येन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage affirms the ethical value of śravaṇa and kīrtana: regularly hearing and narrating a righteous king’s exemplary conduct (here, Vṛṣadarbha/Uśīnara) generates puṇya and cultivates a virtuous disposition.
Śyena describes a scene of divine celebration: Gandharvas and Apsarases encircle the honored figure with song and dance, and he appears radiant like Brahmā. The verse then adds a phalaśruti-style statement praising the merit gained by listening to and recounting this episode.