Shloka 1066
Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha
सभार्य: सहपुत्रश्न सस्नुषश्न दिवं व्रज । “ब्रह्म! मेरी ओर देखो, मैं धर्म हूँ। तुम सब लोग अपनी इच्छाके अनुसार इस विमानपर चढ़ो। तुमने अपने इस शरीरका उद्धार कर दिया और लोकमें भी तुम्हारी अविचल कीर्ति बनी रहेगी। तुम पत्नी, पुत्र और पुत्रवधूके साथ स्वर्गलोकको जाओ'
sabhāryaḥ sahaputraś ca sasnuṣaś ca divaṃ vraja | “brahman! mama oraṃ paśya, ahaṃ dharmo ’smi | yūyaṃ sarve yathā-icchaṃ asmin vimāne āruhya | tvayā asya śarīrasya uddhāraḥ kṛtaḥ, loke ca tava acalā kīrtiḥ sthāsyati | tvaṃ patnyā putreṇa ca snuṣayā ca saha svargalokaṃ gaccha” ||
The father-in-law said: “Go to heaven together with your wife, your son, and your daughter-in-law. O Brahmin, look toward me—I am Dharma. All of you may board this celestial chariot as you wish. You have redeemed this very body through righteous conduct, and in the world your steadfast fame will endure. Go, with wife, son, and daughter-in-law, to the realm of heaven.”
श्षशुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Righteous conduct (dharma) is portrayed as salvific: it uplifts a person even in embodied life and yields enduring social honor. Dharma, personified, confirms that ethical integrity brings both transcendent reward (svarga) and lasting reputation (kīrti).
A figure identified as the father-in-law addresses a Brahmin and reveals, “I am Dharma.” He invites the Brahmin and his family—wife, son, and daughter-in-law—to board a celestial chariot (vimāna) and ascend to heaven, declaring that the Brahmin’s righteous life has redeemed him and secured lasting fame.