Shloka 51
कटके कुण्डले चैव ब्रह्मुसूत्रं तथा परम्
kaṭake kuṇḍale caiva brahmasūtraṃ tathā param | kaḍe kuṇḍala yajñopavīta vicitra-vastraṃ viśeṣataḥ gandham arpitvā vācakasya devatā-samāṃ pūjāṃ kuryāt | evaṃ-kārī śrotā bhagavato viṣṇoḥ loke gacchati ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Dengan mempersembahkan gelang lengan dan subang, serta benang suci (yajñopavīta), bersama perhiasan, pakaian yang indah dan beraneka, dan terutama bahan-bahan harum, hendaklah seseorang memuliakan si pelantun sebagaimana menyembah dewa. Pendengar yang berbuat demikian akan mencapai alam Tuhan Viṣṇu.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that sacred listening is not passive: the listener should actively honor the reciter with respectful offerings and worship-like reverence. Such humility, gratitude, and support for dharma-teaching are presented as spiritually fruitful, leading to attainment of Viṣṇu’s abode.
In Svargārohaṇa Parva’s concluding instructions and reflections, Vaiśampāyana describes the proper way to receive the Mahābhārata’s recitation: by offering ornaments, sacred thread, garments, and fragrance, and by venerating the reciter like a deity. The promised result is heavenly/spiritual attainment in Viṣṇu’s realm.