Shloka 52
वस्त्र चैव विचित्र च गन्धं चैव विशेषत: । देववत् पूजयेत् तं तु विष्णुलोकमवाप्नुयात्,कड़े, कुण्डल, यज्ञोपवीत, विचित्र वस्त्र और विशेषत: गनन््ध अर्पित करके वाचककी देवताके समान पूजा करनी चाहिये। ऐसा करनेवाला श्रोता भगवान् विष्णुके लोकमें जाता है
vastraṃ caiva vicitraṃ ca gandhaṃ caiva viśeṣataḥ | devavat pūjayet taṃ tu viṣṇulokam avāpnuyāt ||
He should offer fine and variegated garments, and especially fragrant substances, and worship that reciter as one would worship a deity. A listener who does so attains the world of Viṣṇu—showing that reverence toward sacred teaching and its transmitter is itself a meritorious dharma leading to auspicious destiny.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that honoring the transmitter of sacred discourse—by offerings such as garments and fragrance and by treating him with deity-like reverence—is a form of dharma that yields spiritual merit and an exalted posthumous destination (Viṣṇu’s realm).
Vaiśampāyana states a prescriptive rule about how a listener should honor the reciter of the Mahābhārata (or sacred narration): by offering fine clothing and fragrant substances and worshipping him respectfully, with the promised fruit of attaining Viṣṇuloka.