Shloka 28

Karmas Leading to Hell and Heaven

Ethical Catalog of Destinies

Devanagari script

सहस्रपरिवेष्टारस्तथैव च सहस्रदाः । त्रातारश्च सहस्राणां ते नराः स्वर्गगामिनः

Transliteration

sahasrapariveṣṭārastathaiva ca sahasradāḥ | trātāraśca sahasrāṇāṃ te narāḥ svargagāminaḥ

Translation

Mereka yang mengiringi serta melayani ribuan orang, yang bersedekah ribuan, dan yang melindungi ribuan—merekalah yang menuju syurga (Svarga).

Word by Word

• sahasra-pariveṣṭāraḥ: servers/attendants of a thousand (i.e., serving many)
• sahasra-pariveṣṭāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक) + pariveṣṭṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• tathā: thus/so
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of manner)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• sahasra-dāḥ: givers of a thousand (i.e., very generous)
• sahasra-dāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक) + dā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• trātāraḥ: protectors/saviors
• trātāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• sahasrāṇām: of thousands
• sahasrāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध) विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Plural)

• te: those
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• narāḥ: men/people
• narāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• svarga-gāminaḥ: going to heaven
• svarga-gāminaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक) + gāmin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative, Plural; adjective)

Speaker

Unspecified in the provided excerpt (Bhūmi-khaṇḍa narrative voice; commonly transmitted within Pulastya–Bhīṣma dialogue in this khaṇḍa)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: sahasra-pariveṣṭāraḥ → sahasrapariveṣṭārāḥ (visarga sandhi in text: -āraḥ + t- → -ārast-); tathā eva → tathaiva; trātāraḥ ca → trātāraśca.

FAQs

What actions are praised in this verse as leading to heaven (svarga)?

The verse praises three public-spirited virtues: serving/escorting many people, giving large charity, and protecting many—each framed in “thousands,” indicating expansive social benefit.

What is the ethical lesson conveyed by describing merit in terms of “thousands”?

It highlights dharma as scalable responsibility: merit grows when one’s generosity, service, and protection extend beyond oneself to benefit large numbers.

Does this verse emphasize ritual performance or social duty?

Primarily social duty (service, charity, protection). It presents heaven as the fruit of expansive ethical conduct rather than focusing on a specific ritual.