Shloka 9
युधिष्ठिरस्य अर्जुनप्रेषण-युक्तिवर्णनम् | Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rationale for Sending Arjuna and Request to Dhaumya
षट्सु शम्यानिपातेषु वल्मीकादिति निश्चय: । कपिलानां सहस्रं च वाजिमेधं च विन्दति
ṣaṭsu śamyānipāteṣu valmīkād iti niścayaḥ | kapilānāṁ sahasraṁ ca vājimedhaṁ ca vindati
Ini adalah kesimpulan yang mantap: pada enam tempat di mana kayu śamī dijatuhkan, seseorang memperoleh pahala yang bermula dari (kebajikan) mendirikan valmīka (gundukan semut). Ia juga meraih buah pahala sedekah seribu sapi kapilā (berwarna cokelat keemasan), serta buah pahala melaksanakan Aśvamedha.
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes that specific ritual acts and sacred observances—performed at prescribed places—are believed to yield immense religious merit, comparable to major royal sacrifices and large-scale gifts. It reflects the Mahābhārata’s broader ethic that dharma is supported by disciplined, tradition-guided action and reverence for sacred rites.
Ghūlastya is describing the spiritual efficacy of certain ritual locations/actions connected with the śamī tree, asserting as a firm conclusion that performing the observance at six such points grants extraordinary merit—likened to the rewards of donating a thousand kapilā cows and performing the Aśvamedha.