Shloka 46
कुरुवंशप्रश्नः—दुःषन्तस्य राजधर्मवर्णनम्
Kuru Lineage Inquiry and the Portrait of King Duḥṣanta’s Rule
नतां स्वर्गगतिं प्राप्य तुष्टिं प्राप्रोति मानव: । यां श्रुत्वैव महापुण्यमितिहासमुपा श्वुते,इस महान् पुण्यदायक इतिहासको सुननेमात्रसे ही मनुष्यको जो संतोष प्राप्त होता है, वह स्वर्गलोक प्राप्त कर लेनेसे भी नहीं मिलता
na tāṃ svargagatiṃ prāpya tuṣṭiṃ prāpnoti mānavaḥ | yāṃ śrutvaiva mahāpuṇyam itihāsam upāśnute ||
มนุษย์แม้จะได้บรรลุสภาวะแห่งสวรรค์ ก็ยังไม่อาจได้ความอิ่มเอมใจเท่ากับความอิ่มเอมที่เกิดขึ้นเพียงเพราะได้สดับฟังประวัติศักดิ์สิทธิ์อันมีบุญยิ่งนี้.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that reverent listening to a supremely meritorious Itihāsa yields a profound inner contentment that surpasses even the pleasure of attaining heaven—highlighting spiritual transformation and ethical nourishment over mere posthumous reward.
Vaiśampāyana, as narrator, praises the Mahābhārata itself, asserting the exceptional fruit of hearing the epic: the listener gains immediate satisfaction and merit, emphasizing the text’s sacred and instructive role within the unfolding narration.