Shloka 59
Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 5 — Karmaphala-Nirdeśa and Phalāśruti (कर्मफलनिर्देशः फलश्रुतिश्च)
भारताध्ययनात् पुण्यादपि पादमधीयत: । श्रद्धया परया भक्त्या श्राव्यते चापि येन तु
bhāratādhyayanāt puṇyād api pādam adhīyataḥ | śraddhayā parayā bhaktyā śrāvyate cāpi yena tu ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Bahkan bila seseorang mempelajari hanya seperempat bait, kebajikan yang diperolehnya melampaui (sekadar) mempelajari Bhārata seluruhnya. Siapa pun yang, dengan iman dan bhakti tertinggi, mendengarkannya—atau membuatnya dilantunkan bagi orang lain—mendapatkan buah penuh dari mempelajari Mahābhārata.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that sincere śraddhā (faith) and bhakti (devotion) in hearing or reciting even a small portion of the Mahābhārata yields the full spiritual merit of studying the whole epic, emphasizing inner disposition over sheer quantity of learning.
In the closing context of the Svargārohaṇa Parva, Vaiśampāyana highlights the phala-śruti (statement of benefits) of the Mahābhārata, praising the power of listening and recitation as a means to attain auspicious spiritual accomplishment.