Mahabharata — Ashvamedhika Parva, Shloka 1066
Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha
सभार्य: सहपुत्रश्न सस्नुषश्न दिवं व्रज । “ब्रह्म! मेरी ओर देखो
sabhāryaḥ sahaputraś ca sasnuṣaś ca divaṃ vraja | “brahman! mama oraṃ paśya, ahaṃ dharmo ’smi | yūyaṃ sarve yathā-icchaṃ asmin vimāne āruhya | tvayā asya śarīrasya uddhāraḥ kṛtaḥ, loke ca tava acalā kīrtiḥ sthāsyati | tvaṃ patnyā putreṇa ca snuṣayā ca saha svargalokaṃ gaccha” ||
岳父说道：“与汝妻、汝子及汝媳同往天界。婆罗门啊，向我看来——我即是法（Dharma）。你们众人随心登上此天车。你们以正行救赎了此身，在世间你们坚定的名声亦将长存。与妻、子、媳同赴天界之域吧。”
श्षशुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Righteous conduct (dharma) is portrayed as salvific: it uplifts a person even in embodied life and yields enduring social honor. Dharma, personified, confirms that ethical integrity brings both transcendent reward (svarga) and lasting reputation (kīrti).
A figure identified as the father-in-law addresses a Brahmin and reveals, “I am Dharma.” He invites the Brahmin and his family—wife, son, and daughter-in-law—to board a celestial chariot (vimāna) and ascend to heaven, declaring that the Brahmin’s righteous life has redeemed him and secured lasting fame.