Shloka 101
Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha
प्राप्प पुण्यकृताँललोकान् मोदते दिवि सुब्रत: । “उशीनरके पुत्र उत्तम व्रतका पालन करनेवाले राजा शिबि श्रद्धापूर्वक अपने शरीरका मांस देकर भी पुण्यात्माओंके लोकोंमें अर्थात् स्वर्गमें आनन्द भोगते हैं | १०० $ ।। विभवो न नृणां पुण्यं स्वशकक््त्या स्वर्जितं सताम्
prāpya puṇyakṛtāṁl lokān modate divi subrataḥ | uśīnarake putra uttama-vratakā pālana-karanevāle rājā śibi śraddhāpūrvakaṁ sva-śarīrasya māṁsaṁ datvāpi puṇyātmānāṁ lokeṣu arthāt svarge ānandaṁ bhogate | vibhavo na nṛṇāṁ puṇyaṁ svaśaktyā svarjitaṁ satām |
Sang pemegang laku utama itu, setelah mencapai alam para saleh, bersukacita di surga. Di negeri Uśīnara, Raja Śibi—teguh dalam tapa dan janji—dengan śraddhā mempersembahkan bahkan daging tubuhnya sendiri; dan ia pun menikmati kebahagiaan di alam orang-orang bajik, yakni surga. Sebab kemakmuran bukanlah pahala sejati; pahala sejati ialah yang diraih para baik oleh kekuatan tekad dan pengorbanan diri.
श्षशुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Moral worth is not measured by external prosperity; true puṇya is earned through steadfast vows, faith, and self-sacrifice for dharma, exemplified by King Śibi’s willingness to give even his own flesh.
The speaker cites King Śibi of the Uśīnara country as an exemplar: by faithfully upholding an extraordinary vow and offering his own flesh, he attains the realms of the righteous and rejoices in heaven, illustrating the supremacy of earned merit over mere worldly power.