Mahabharata 1.94.8 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 94, Shloka 8
Śāṃtanu’s Ideal Rule; Devavrata’s Return; The Satyavatī Marriage Condition and Bhīṣma’s Vow (आदि पर्व, अध्याय ९४)
शिबिरुवाच तांस्त्वं लोकान् प्रतिपद्यस्व राजन् मया दत्तान् यदि नेष्ट: क्रयस्ते । नचाहं तान् प्रतिपत्स्ये ह दत्त्वा यत्र गत्वा नानुशोचन्ति धीरा:
śibir uvāca tāṁs tvaṁ lokān pratipadyasva rājan mayā dattān yadi neṣṭaḥ krayas te | na cāhaṁ tān pratipatsye ha dattvā yatra gatvā nānuśocanti dhīrāḥ ||
شِبی نے کہا—اے بادشاہ! اگر تم انہیں خریدنا نہیں چاہتے تو میرے اپنے پیش کیے ہوئے ثواب کے جہان قبول کر لو۔ انہیں بخش دینے کے بعد میں یقیناً ان جہانوں کو اپنے لیے نہیں لوں گا۔ وہ ایسے مقام ہیں کہ وہاں پہنچ کر ثابت قدم لوگ کبھی غم نہیں کرتے۔
प्रतर्दन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights uncompromising generosity and ethical integrity: true giving means relinquishing claim over the reward itself. The ‘steadfast’ are described as those who, having reached higher states through virtue, are free from regret and grief—suggesting that dharma is fulfilled not by bargaining for merit but by selfless renunciation.
Śibi addresses King Pratardana in a context of exchange over ‘worlds of merit.’ Śibi says that if Pratardana does not want to ‘buy’ them, he should simply accept the meritorious realms Śibi has offered; and Śibi insists he will not reclaim them after giving them away, emphasizing the finality and sincerity of his gift.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.