Shloka 559
मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity
उसके लिये बारह सूर्योके समान तेजस्वी विमान प्रस्तुत किया जाता है। बहुमूल्यमणि
tasya dvādaśa-sūrya-sama-tejasvī vimānaṃ prastūyate | bahu-mūlya-maṇi-muktā-pravālair asya vimānasya śobhā vardhate | haṃsa-śreṇī-pariveṣṭitaṃ nāga-vīthyā ca parivyāptaṃ tat vimānaṃ kalaravaṃ kurvat mayūra-cakrāvākaiḥ suśobhitaṃ brahma-loke pratiṣṭhitam | tasya antar bṛhatyo ’ṭṭālikāḥ kṛtāḥ santi | rājan, tat nitya-nivāsa-sthānaṃ nānā-nara-nārībhiḥ paripūrṇam bhavati | etad mahābhāga-dharmajña ṛṣir aṅgirā uvāca |
Bhishma berkata: “Bagi orang sedemikian, disediakan sebuah kereta samawi, bersinar seperti dua belas matahari. Keindahannya ditambah oleh permata bernilai, mutiara dan karang. Dilingkari barisan angsa dan dipenuhi ‘laluan ular’—jalan langit yang berliku—kereta itu bergema dengan kicau, dihiasi burung merak dan cakravāka, serta ditegakkan di alam Brahmā. Di dalamnya terdapat istana-istana tinggi. Wahai raja, kediaman abadi itu dipenuhi ramai lelaki dan perempuan. Demikianlah dinyatakan oleh resi Aṅgiras yang mulia, arif akan dharma.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage emphasizes the doctrine of dharma-phala: righteous conduct yields exalted posthumous results. The vivid imagery of a radiant vimāna established in Brahmaloka functions as a moral incentive—ethical living is portrayed as leading to an enduring, honored state beyond death.
Bhishma, instructing the king in Anushasana Parva, describes the heavenly reward allotted to a meritorious person: a splendid celestial vimāna adorned with jewels and auspicious birds, situated in Brahmaloka with lofty mansions and an eternal residence. He attributes this account to the sage Aṅgiras as authoritative testimony.