Shloka 55

Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

गोप्रदास्तु सुखं यान्ति निर्मुक्ता: सर्वपातकै: । विमानै्हससंयुक्तैर्यान्ति मासोपवासिन:,गोदान करनेवाले मनुष्य सब पापोंसे मुक्ता हो सुखपूर्वक जाते हैं। एक मासतक उपवास-व्रत करनेवाले लोग हंसजुते हुए विमानोंद्वारा यात्रा करते हैं

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: gopradās tu sukhaṃ yānti nirmuktāḥ sarvapātakaiḥ | vimānaiḥ haṃsasaṃyuktair yānti māsopavāsinaḥ ||

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。「牛を施す者は、あらゆる罪より解き放たれ、安楽のうちに去る。ひと月の断食を守る者は、白鳥に牽かれた天の車（ヴィマーナ）に乗って進む。」

Word by Word

गोप्रदाःgivers of cows

तुbut/indeed

सुखम्happiness; comfortably

यान्तिgo

निर्मुक्ताःfreed, released

सर्वपातकैःfrom all sins

विमानैःby aerial chariots

हंससंयुक्तैःyoked/connected with swans

यान्तिgo, travel

मासोपवासिनःthose who fast for a month

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

cow (go)

vimāna (celestial chariot)

haṃsa (swan)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links ethical generosity (go-dāna) and disciplined austerity (a month-long fast) with spiritual purification and auspicious posthumous destiny, presenting dharma as both compassionate giving and self-restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the fruits of specific dharmic acts: cow-donors attain a happy passage freed from sins, while month-long fasters are poetically said to journey in swan-yoked celestial chariots, emphasizing the exalted reward of tapas.