Parva 3 Chapter 135: harivaṁśaśravaṇaphalaṁ mabhārātasamāptiścha - benefits of listening to harivamsha - mahābhārata concluded

janamejaya said: O the best among the best sages (vaisampāyana)! Kindly speak in front of me the benefits of listening to the harivaṁśapurāṇa. Also tell me what shall be given to the reciter? vaiśampāyana uvāca harivaṁśe purāṇe tu shrute ca bharatottama | kāyikaṁ vācikaṁ caiva manasā samupārjitam ||3-135-2 tatsarvaṁ nāśamāyāti himaṁ sūryodaye yathā | vaiśampāyana said: O the best among the race of bharata (janamejaya)! On listening to the harivaṁśapurāṇa all the sins acquired by actions of the body, speech and mind will be destroyed like frost destroyed by the rising sun. aṣṭādaśapurāṇānāṁ śravaṇādyatphalaṁ bhavet ||3-135-3 tatphalaṁ samavāpnoti vaiṣṇavo nātra saṁśayaḥ | All the benefits of listening to the eight and ten (eighteen) purāṇas shall be acquired by the one who follows the dharma of viṣṇu. There is no doubt in this. ślokārdhaṁ ślokapādaṁ vā harivaṁśasamudbhavam ||3-135-4 śṛṇvanti śraddhayā yuktā vaiṣṇavaṁ padamāpnuyuḥ | The one who listens to half or quarter of a śloka (stanza of four lines, each having eight syllables) in harivaṁśa with attention shall attain the feet of viṣṇu. jambudvīpaṁ samāśritya śrotāro durlabhāḥ kalau ||3-135-5 bhavishyanti narā rājansatyaṁ satyaṁ vadāmyaham | O king! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) The men listening to harivaṁśa in the age of kali at the island of jambu will be rare. I am speaking the truth, truthfully. strībhiścha putrakāmābhiḥ śrotavyaṁ vaiṣṇavaṁ yaśaḥ ||3-135-6 Women desiring sons shall also listen to the fame of viṣṇu (as described in harivaṁśa). dakṣiṇā cātra deyā vai niṣkatrayasuvarṇakam | vācakāya yathāśaktyā yathoktaṁ phalamicchatā ||3-135-7 Three coins of gold shall be given as tribute to the one who recites harivaṁśa according to the ability of the listener who desires the benefits as stated. svarṇaśṛṅgīṁ ca kapilāṁ savatsāṁ vastrasaṁyutam | vācakāya pradadyādvai ātmanaḥ śreyakāṅkṣayā ||3-135-8 One who desires prosperity of his soul shall offer the reciter, a cow having horns decorated with gold and a calf, together with clothes. alaṁkāraṁ pradadyāccha pāṇyorvai bharatarṣabha | karṇasyābharaṇaṁ dadyādyānaṁ ca saviṣeśataḥ ||3-135-9 O the bull of bharata race! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) Golden bracelets for the arms shall also be given. Offer golden ear rings as well as special carriages. bhūmidānaṁ samādadyādbrāhmaṇāya narādhipa | bhūmidānasamaṁ dānaṁ na bhūtaṁ na bhaviṣyati ||3-135-10 O the king of men! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyna continued) The brahmaṇa shall be offered land. No offer equal to the offer of land was there in the past and there will not be in the future as well. śṛṇoti śrāvayedvāpi harivaṁśe tu yo naraḥ | sarvathā pāpanirmukto vaiṣṇavaṁ padamāpnuyāt ||3-135-11 The one who listens or organizes the listening to harivaṁśa will be released from all sins and he will attain the feet of viṣṇu. pitṝnuddharate sarvānekādaśa samudbhavān | ātmānaṁ sasutaṁ caiva striyaṁ ca bharatarṣabha ||3-135-12 O the bull of bharata race! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) The ancestors up to eleventh generation will be uplifted (released from all their sins) along with self, children and wife. daśāṁśaścātra homo vai kāryaḥ śrotrā narādhipa | idaṁ mayā tavāgre ca sarvaṁ proktaṁ nararṣabha ||3-135-13 O the king of men! (O janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) The one who listens performs oblations equal to one tenth of the number of ślokas of harivaṁśa. O the bull among men! (O janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) All these are spoken by me in front of you. (Note 1) yasya smaraṇamātreṇa sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate | aputraḥ putramāpnoti adhano dhanamāpnuyāt ||3-135-14 Only by remembering this (harivaṁśa) one is released from all sins. The childless will be blessed with children and the poor will become wealthy. naramedhāśvamedhābhyāṁ yatphalaṁ prāpyate naraiḥ | tatphalaṁ labhate nūnaṁ purāṇaśravaṇāddhareḥ ||3-135-15 Whatever benefits are obtained by men by performing naramedha and ashvamedha will be achieved by listening to the purāṇa of hari (viṣṇu). brahmahā bhrūṇahā goghnaḥ surāpo gurutalpagaḥ | sakṛtpurāṇaśravaṇātpūto bhavati nānyathā ||3-135-16 The slayer of Brahmin, the slayer of embryos, the slayer cows, the drinker of liquor and the one having sexual relations with the wife of his teacher - All these sinners will become purified by listening to this harivaṁśa purāṇa. They shall not be purified by any other means. idaṁ mayā te parikīrtitaṁ maha- cchrīkṛṣṇamāhātmyamapāramadbhutam | śṛṇvanpaṭhannāśu samāpnuyātphalaṁ yachcāpi lokeṣu sudurlabhaṁ mahat ||3-135-17 Thus I have described to you the great, unbounded and wonderful greatness of śrī kṛṣṇa. Those who are listening and reciting this shall obtain great benefits which are rare in all the worlds. iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe bhaviṣyaparvaṇi śravaṇaphalakathane paṣchatriṁśadadhikaśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ This is the one hundred and thirty fifth chapter of bhaviṣyaparva, harivaṁśa, khila of mahābhārata, benefits of listening to harivamsha - mahābhārata concluded Note 1: See gita press commentary iti śrīmatpadavākyapramāṇamaryādādhuraṁdharacaturdhara vaṁśāvataṁsa śrīgovindasūrisūnornīlakaṇṭhasya kṛtau bhāratabhāvadīpe harivaṁśāntagranthārthaprakāśaḥ samāptimagamat | ayaṁ granthaḥ śrī kiṣjavadekarkulakamaladivākarasārdhapṛṣṭāptoryāmayājidattātreyadīkṣitatanujapanḍitarāmacandraśāstriṇā pariśodhitaḥ pariṣkṛtaścha | bhāratī jayatu |