Shloka 50
श्रद्धधानेन वै भाव्यमेवमाह गुरुर्मम । महाराज! ठीक ऐसी ही बात है। इस विषयमें कोई अन्यथा विचार नहीं करना चाहिये। मेरे गुरुका कथन है कि महाभारतकी इस महिमा और फलपर श्रद्धा रखनी चाहिये ।। ४९६ || वाचकस्य तु दातव्यं मनसा यद् यदिच्छति,हस्त्यश्वरथयानानि वाहनानि विशेषत: । वाचकको उसके मनमें जिस-जिस वस्तुकी इच्छा हो वह सब देनी चाहिये। हाथी, घोड़े, रथ, पालकी तथा दूसरे-दूसरे वाहन विशेषरूपसे देने चाहिये
śraddadhānena vai bhāvyam evam āha gurur mama | mahārāja! ṭhīk aisī hī bāt hai | asmin viṣaye na kaścid anyathā vicāraḥ kartavyaḥ | mama guroḥ kathanaṃ yat mahābhāratasya asyā mahimā-phale śraddhā kartavyā || vācakasya tu dātavyaṃ manasā yad yad icchati, hasty-aśva-ratha-yānāni vāhanāni viśeṣataḥ |
Vaiśampāyana said: “One must approach this with faith—so my teacher has declared. O great king, it is exactly so; on this matter no contrary notion should be entertained. My teacher’s instruction is that one should place trust in the greatness of the Mahābhārata and in the spiritual fruit it bestows. Moreover, whatever the reciter desires in his mind should be given to him—especially conveyances such as elephants, horses, chariots, palanquins, and other vehicles.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage teaches that one should hold firm faith (śraddhā) in the Mahābhārata’s greatness and its promised spiritual fruit, as affirmed by the teacher’s authority, and that generosity toward the reciter—giving what he desires, especially valuable conveyances—is a proper dharmic response to sacred recitation.
Vaiśampāyana addresses the king and reinforces his teacher’s instruction: do not doubt this doctrine; maintain faith in the Mahābhārata’s efficacy. He then specifies the practical ritual-ethical corollary—honoring the reciter with gifts, notably elephants, horses, chariots, palanquins, and other vehicles.