Shloka 22
Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 5 — Karmaphala-Nirdeśa and Phalāśruti (कर्मफलनिर्देशः फलश्रुतिश्च)
धर्ममेवाविशत् क्षत्ता राजा चैव युधिषछिर:
vaiśampāyana uvāca | dharmam evāviśat kṣattā rājā caiva yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | balarāmo hi sākṣād bhagavān anantadevasya avatāraḥ | sa rasātalaṃ svam ālayaṃ jagāma | eṣa sa evānantadevo yo brahmaṇo ’jñāṃ prāpya yogabalena imāṃ pṛthivīṃ dhārayāmāsa |
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Vidura, pembesar istana, memasuki Dharma itu sendiri; dan Raja Yudhiṣṭhira juga memasuki hakikat Dharma. Balarāma sesungguhnya ialah penjelmaan Tuhan Anantadeva; baginda berangkat ke kediamannya di Rasātala. Dialah Ananta yang sama yang, menurut perintah Brahmā, menanggung bumi ini dengan kekuatan yoga.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames the end of exemplary lives as a return to their governing principle: Vidura and Yudhiṣṭhira are portrayed as merging into Dharma itself, suggesting that steadfast ethical integrity culminates in union with the very source of righteousness and cosmic order.
In the closing movement of the epic, Vaiśampāyana reports the final departures: Vidura (identified with Dharma) and Yudhiṣṭhira enter into Dharma, while Balarāma—declared an incarnation of Ananta—returns to Rasātala, recalling Ananta’s cosmic role of supporting the earth under Brahmā’s command.