Shloka 52
Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 5 — Karmaphala-Nirdeśa and Phalāśruti (कर्मफलनिर्देशः फलश्रुतिश्च)
स्वर्गकामो लभेत् स्वर्ग जयकामो लभेज्जयम् | गर्भिणी लभते पुत्र कन््यां वा बहुभागिनीम्
svargakāmo labhet svargaṁ jayakāmo labhej jayam | garbhiṇī labhate putraṁ kanyāṁ vā bahubhāginīm ||
毗舍波耶那说道：“求天界者得天界；求胜利者得胜利。亦复如是，孕妇若聆听（或诵读）《摩诃婆罗多》，便得一位贤良之子；若不然，亦得一位福泽深厚的女儿。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a phalaśruti principle: devoted hearing/recitation of the Mahābhārata is a meritorious act whose fruits correspond to the listener’s intention—heaven for one seeking heaven, victory for one seeking victory, and auspicious progeny for a pregnant woman—thereby emphasizing faith, right aspiration, and the ethical power attributed to sacred narrative.
In the concluding section of the epic (Svargārohaṇa), Vaiśampāyana offers a traditional benedictory statement describing the benefits of listening to or reciting the Mahābhārata, presenting it as spiritually efficacious and auspicious for different aims.