Mahabharata 3.42.23 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 42, Shloka 23

Lokapāla-samāgamaḥ—Arjuna Receives Astras from the World-Guardians

Book 3, Chapter 42

Devanagari script

त्वत्प्रसादात्‌ सदा शैल ब्राह्मणा: क्षत्रिया विश: । स्वर्ग प्राप्ताश्चरन्ति सम देव: सह गतव्यथा:

Transliteration

tvatprasādāt sadā śaila brāhmaṇāḥ kṣatriyā viśaḥ | svargaṃ prāptāś caranti samaṃ devaiḥ saha gatavyathāḥ ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു— ഹേ ഗിരിരാജാ! നിന്റെ കൃപാപ്രസാദം കൊണ്ടു അനേകം ബ്രാഹ്മണരും ക്ഷത്രിയരും വൈശ്യരും സദാ സ്വർഗ്ഗം പ്രാപിച്ച്, വ്യഥാരഹിതരായി ദേവന്മാരോടൊപ്പം അവിടെ വിഹരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• त्वत्-प्रसादात्: from your favor/grace
• त्वत्-प्रसादात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वत् + प्रसाद
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• शैल: O mountain
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• क्षत्रियाः: Kshatriyas
• क्षत्रियाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विशः: Vaishyas / the common people (of the third varna)
• विशः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्राप्ताः: having attained / having reached
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• चरन्ति: they roam / they move about
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर्
• Form: Present, Parasmaipada, Third, Plural

• समम्: together / along with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम

• देवैः: with the gods
• देवैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सह: with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• गत-व्यथाः: free from suffering (whose pain has gone)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (गम् + क्त) + व्यथा
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Śaila (the mountain addressed)
• Brāhmaṇas
• Kṣatriyas
• Viś/Vaiśyas
• Svarga
• Devas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes that sacred places or revered beings can become instruments of spiritual uplift: through their ‘prasāda’ (grace), people of different social duties (varṇas) may attain heavenly reward and freedom from suffering, highlighting the ethical value of reverence, right conduct, and merit-bearing association.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, narrating the episode, addresses a mountain and praises its beneficent power: because of that mountain’s favor, many people—Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaiśyas—reach heaven and dwell there happily with the gods, free from affliction.