Shloka 22
Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha
स्वर्ग येन द्विजा: प्राप्त: सभार्य: ससुतस्नुष: । यथा चार्थ शरीरस्य ममेदं काउ्चनीकृतम्
svargaṁ yena dvijāḥ prāptaḥ sabhāryaḥ sasuta-snuṣaḥ | yathā cārtha-śarīrasya mamedam kāñcanīkṛtam ||
毗舍摩波耶那说：“婆罗门啊，我将叙述此事：凭借那次布施之力，那些最胜的二生者——连同妻子、儿子与儿媳——如何正当地得入天界；又如何在彼处使我这半身化为金色。我将如其所发生而讲述。”
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical power of dāna (generous giving): meritorious charity can elevate not only the giver but also the household (wife, children, daughters-in-law), leading to heavenly attainment and extraordinary auspicious results.
Vaiśaṁpāyana introduces a forthcoming account: he will explain how certain dvijas, through a particular gift, reached heaven with their families and how, in that context, ‘half of my body’ became golden—setting up a miraculous consequence tied to merit.