Mahabharata — Svargarohana Parva, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

स्त्रियश्न पुरुषाश्वैव वैष्णवं पदमाप्तुयु: । स्त्रीभिश्व पुत्रकामाभि: श्रोतव्यं वैष्णवं यश:

Transliteration

striyaś ca puruṣāś caiva vaiṣṇavaṁ padam āptuyuḥ | strībhiś ca putrakāmābhiḥ śrotavyaṁ vaiṣṇavaṁ yaśaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那言：无论女子或男子，皆因聆听此经而得至毗湿奴之无上住处。故凡求子之妇女，必当听闻此《摩诃婆罗多》——毗湿奴之荣耀。

Word by Word

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• न: or / not (here: disjunctive with वा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• पुरुषाः: men
• पुरुषाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed / just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• वैष्णवम्: Vishnu's / Vaishnava
• वैष्णवम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पदम्: abode / state
• पदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आप्तुयुः: attained / reached
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• स्त्रीभिः: by women / with women
• स्त्रीभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• पुत्रकामाभिः: by women desiring a son
• पुत्रकामाभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्रकाम
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• श्रोतव्यम्: should be heard / must be listened to
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Gerundive (तव्यत्), Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वैष्णवम्: Vishnu's / Vaishnava
• वैष्णवम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• यशः: glory / fame
• यशः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यशस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Viṣṇu
• Vaiṣṇava pada (abode of Viṣṇu)
• Mahābhārata (as Vaiṣṇava yaśas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches the devotional power of śravaṇa (reverent listening): hearing the Mahābhārata—presented here as the glory of Viṣṇu—brings spiritual merit culminating in reaching Viṣṇu’s abode, and is also recommended for women seeking the blessing of children.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the concluding section of the Mahābhārata, Vaiśampāyana delivers a phalaśruti-style statement, describing the fruits of hearing the epic: it benefits all listeners, and specifically encourages women with the desire for offspring to listen to this Vaiṣṇava praise.