Shloka 55

Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 5 — Karmaphala-Nirdeśa and Phalāśruti (कर्मफलनिर्देशः फलश्रुतिश्च)

Devanagari script

पित्रये पज्चदशं ज्ञेयं यक्षलोके चतुर्दश । एकं शतसहसंर तु मानुषेषु प्रभाषितम्‌

Transliteration

pitrye pañcadaśaṃ jñeyaṃ yakṣaloke caturdaśa | ekaṃ śatasahasraṃ tu mānuṣeṣu prabhāṣitam |

Translation

ବୈଶମ୍ପାୟନ କହିଲେ— ପିତୃଲୋକରେ ଏହା ପନ୍ଦର ଲକ୍ଷ ଶ୍ଲୋକରୂପେ ଜଣାଯାଏ, ଯକ୍ଷଲୋକରେ ଚୌଦ୍ଦ ଲକ୍ଷ; ମନୁଷ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ତ ଏହା ଏକ ଲକ୍ଷ ଶ୍ଲୋକ ଭାବେ ପାଠିତ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• पित्र्ये: in the world of the Pitṛs (Pitṛloka)
• पित्र्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• पञ्चदशम्: fifteen (lakhs) / the fifteenth measure
• पञ्चदशम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चदश
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ज्ञेयम्: is to be known
• ज्ञेयम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• यक्षलोके: in the Yakṣa-world (Yakṣaloka)
• यक्षलोके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्षलोक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• चतुर्दश: fourteen (lakhs)
• चतुर्दश: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्दश
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शतसहस्रम्: a hundred thousand
• शतसहस्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतसहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• मानुषेषु: among humans
• मानुषेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• प्रभाषितम्: was recited/proclaimed
• प्रभाषितम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-भाष्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pitṛloka (realm of the ancestors)
• Yakṣaloka (realm of the Yakṣas)
• human world (mānuṣa-loka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the epic’s sacred magnitude and layered transmission: different realms preserve larger recensions, while humans receive a condensed, recitable form. Ethically, it highlights stewardship—humans must faithfully preserve and learn the accessible version that carries dharma-teachings.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is describing the traditional distribution of the Mahābhārata’s verse-count across realms: fifteen lakhs in the Pitṛ-world, fourteen lakhs in the Yakṣa-world, and one hundred thousand verses as the human recension that is publicly recited.