Rāma’s Abhiṣeka Plan, Kaikeyī’s Boon, and the Initiation of the Exile
Mārkaṇḍeya’s Account
के गुणास्तत्र वसतां कि तप: कश्न निश्चय: । स्वर्गे तत्र सुखं कि च दोषो वा देवदूतक
ke guṇās tatra vasatāṁ kiṁ tapaḥ kaś ca niścayaḥ | svarge tatra sukhaṁ kiṁ ca doṣo vā devadūtaka ||
Вьяса сказал: «Какими добродетелями обладают те, кто обитает там? Какую аскезу (тапас) они совершают и какая твёрдая решимость ими руководит? Какое счастье обретается там, на небесах,—и есть ли там хоть какой‑нибудь изъян, о малый божественный вестник?»
व्यास उवाच
The verse frames a moral inquiry: heavenly attainment is not treated as automatic or purely pleasurable; it is examined in terms of the virtues (guṇa), disciplined effort (tapas), and steadfast intention (niścaya) that support it, and whether even svarga contains limitations (doṣa).
Vyāsa addresses a divine messenger and asks for a description of the residents of that heavenly state—what qualities they possess, what austerities or disciplines they follow, what inner resolve sustains them, what happiness is experienced there, and whether any drawback exists.