Shloka 16
अर्थास्तस्योपपत्स्यन्ते धन्यतां च गमिष्यति । जो राजा नलके इस महान् चरित्रका वर्णन करेंगे अथवा निरन्तर सुनेंगे, उन्हें दरिद्रता नहीं प्राप्त होगी। उनके सभी मनोरथ सिद्ध होंगे और वे संसारमें धन्य हो जायँगे ।। १५३ || इतिहासमिमं श्रुत्वा पुराणं शश्व॒दुत्तमम्,इस प्राचीन एवं उत्तम इतिहासका सदा ही श्रवण करके मनुष्य पुत्र, पौत्र, पशु तथा मानवोंमें श्रेष्ठता प्राप्त कर लेता है। साथ ही वह नीरोग और प्रसन्न होता है, इसमें संशय नहीं है
bṛhadaśva uvāca | arthās tasyopapatsyante dhanyatāṃ ca gamiṣyati | yo rājā nalake (nalasya) imaṃ mahān caritraṃ varṇayiṣyati athavā nirantaraṃ śroṣyati, tasya daridratā na prāpsyati | tasya sarve manorathāḥ siddhyanti, sa ca loke dhanyo bhavati || itihāsam imaṃ śrutvā purāṇaṃ śaśvad uttamam, manuṣyaḥ putra-pautrān paśūṃś ca prāpnoti, manuṣyeṣu ca śreṣṭhatāṃ labhate | sa ca nīrogaḥ prasannaś ca bhavati, atra na saṃśayaḥ ||
Bṛhadaśva said: Wealth will come to him, and he will attain blessedness. Any king who recounts this great story of Nala, or who listens to it continually, will not fall into poverty. All his aims will be fulfilled, and he will be counted fortunate in the world. Having heard this ancient and ever-excellent sacred history, a person gains sons and grandsons, prosperity in cattle, and pre-eminence among people. He becomes healthy and cheerful—of this there is no doubt.
बृहदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a phalaśruti: sustained listening to or narrating the exemplary story of Nala is said to generate auspicious results—prosperity, fulfillment of aims, social esteem, health, and mental cheer—highlighting the ethical and formative power of sacred narrative (itihāsa) when approached with regularity and reverence.
Bṛhadaśva, while recounting the Nala episode within the Vana Parva, pauses to state the promised fruits of hearing or reciting this ancient account. This functions as a traditional endorsement of the narrative’s authority and as encouragement for kings and listeners to keep the story in circulation.