Shloka 55

Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

गोप्रदास्तु सुखं यान्ति निर्मुक्ता: सर्वपातकै: । विमानै्हससंयुक्तैर्यान्ति मासोपवासिन:,गोदान करनेवाले मनुष्य सब पापोंसे मुक्ता हो सुखपूर्वक जाते हैं। एक मासतक उपवास-व्रत करनेवाले लोग हंसजुते हुए विमानोंद्वारा यात्रा करते हैं

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: gopradās tu sukhaṃ yānti nirmuktāḥ sarvapātakaiḥ | vimānaiḥ haṃsasaṃyuktair yānti māsopavāsinaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Những người bố thí bò ra đi trong hạnh phúc, được giải thoát khỏi mọi tội lỗi. Còn những ai giữ trai giới nhịn ăn trọn một tháng thì tiến bước trên những cỗ xe trời được thắng bởi thiên nga—hình ảnh của sự thanh khiết và thăng hoa.

Word by Word

गोप्रदाःgivers of cows

तुbut/indeed

सुखम्happiness; comfortably

यान्तिgo

निर्मुक्ताःfreed, released

सर्वपातकैःfrom all sins

विमानैःby aerial chariots

हंससंयुक्तैःyoked/connected with swans

यान्तिgo, travel

मासोपवासिनःthose who fast for a month

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

cow (go)

vimāna (celestial chariot)

haṃsa (swan)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links ethical generosity (go-dāna) and disciplined austerity (a month-long fast) with spiritual purification and auspicious posthumous destiny, presenting dharma as both compassionate giving and self-restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the fruits of specific dharmic acts: cow-donors attain a happy passage freed from sins, while month-long fasters are poetically said to journey in swan-yoked celestial chariots, emphasizing the exalted reward of tapas.