इतिहासमिमं श्रुत्वा यथावदनुपूर्वश: । संयतात्मा शुचिर्भूत्वा पारं गत्वा च भारते
itihāsam imaṁ śrutvā yathāvad anupūrvaśaḥ | saṁyatātmā śucir bhūtvā pāraṁ gatvā ca bhārate || mahādānāni deyāni ratnāni vividhāni ca |
Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: “Wahai Bhārata, setelah mendengar kisah ini dengan tertib dan sebagaimana adanya, dengan batin terkendali serta suci lahir dan batin, dan setelah menuntaskannya hingga seberang (akhirnya), hendaknya seseorang memberikan mahādāna—termasuk aneka permata. Seusai menamatkan Mahābhārata, pendengar, menurut kemampuannya, hendaknya melakukan śrāddha bagi para pahlawan utama yang gugur, dan dengan bhakti memberi derma besar kepada para Brāhmaṇa.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Hearing the Mahābhārata is to be done with disciplined attention and inner/outer purity; upon completing it, one should translate that sacred encounter into ethical action—especially charity (mahādāna) and commemorative rites (śrāddha) for those who died—performed according to one’s means and with devotion.
Vaiśaṃpāyana concludes with prescriptive guidance: after listening to the epic in correct sequence and completing it, the listener is enjoined to remain self-controlled and pure, and then to give significant gifts (including precious items) and to perform śrāddha for the principal warriors who were slain.