A ''phalashruti'' () is a meritorious verse in
Hindu literature
Hindu texts or Hindu scriptures are manuscripts and voluminous historical literature which are related to any of the diverse traditions within Hinduism. Some of the major Hindu texts include the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Itihasa. Scholars ...
, appearing at the end of a text or one of its constituent sections. Such a verse offers a description of the benefits that could be accrued by an adherent from the recitation or listening to a given text. It may also extol the prominence of a work, as well as provide the appropriate context for its perusal.
Etymology
''Phalaśruti'' is a
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
compound word consisting of the words ''phala'' () and ''śruti'' (), literally translating to, "fruits of listening".
Literature
The ''phalashruti'' is featured in a number of genres of Hindu literature such as the ''
Upanishads
The Upanishads (; , , ) are late Vedic and post-Vedic Sanskrit texts that "document the transition from the archaic ritualism of the Veda into new religious ideas and institutions" and the emergence of the central religious concepts of Hind ...
,'' the ''
Brahmana
The Brahmanas (; Sanskrit: , International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''Brāhmaṇam'') are Vedas, Vedic śruti works attached to the Samhitas (hymns and mantras) of the Rigveda, Rig, Samaveda, Sama, Yajurveda, Yajur, and Athar ...
s,'' the ''
,'' and the ''
Itihasa
In Hinduism, Itihasa-Purana, also called the fifth Veda, refers to the traditional accounts of cosmogeny, myths, royal genealogies of the lunar dynasty and solar dynasty, and legendary past events, as narrated in the ''Itihasa'' (Mahabhara ...
s''.
Bhagavata Purana
The ''phalashruti'' of the ''
Bhagavata Purana
The ''Bhagavata Purana'' (; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam)'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' () or simply ''Bhagavata (Bhāgavata)'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen major Puranas (''Mahapuranas'') and one ...
'' states that he who gifts the text on a
full moon in the month of
Bhadrapada would achieve the highest goal after their death. The verse acclaims the greatness of the text among other texts of the ''Purana'' genre, stating it to be analogous to the river
Ganga
The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary riv ...
and the deity
Vishnu
Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
in terms of its virtue.
Mahabharata
The ''phalashruti'' of the ''
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...
'' describes the benefits of success, progeny, good fortune, and victory to its listeners. It also describes the purification of the listener from sins, as well as allowing them to obtain
heaven
Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...
and become one with ''
Brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' (; IAST: ''Brahman'') connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality of the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part XII In the ...
''. A brief account of the composition of the text is also featured in the verse.
Ramayana
The ''phalashruti'' of the ''
Ramayana
The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...
'' describes the benefits of longevity, good fortune, and the destruction of all sins accrued by its listeners. It also states that offspring and wealth would be granted to its listeners, along with favourable prospects after their death. The time periods of noon and dusk are described in the verse to be auspicious for the recitation of the epic.
Shiva Purana
The ''phalashruti'' of the ''
Shiva Purana
The ''Shiva Purana'' (original Sanskrit title: Śivapurāṇa (शिवपुराण) and Śivamahāpurāṇa (शिवमहापुराण) is one of eighteen major texts of the '' Purana'' genre of Sanskrit texts in Hinduism, and part o ...
'' describes the benefits of worldly pleasure, the destruction of sins, and
liberation to its listeners. It encourages the work to be recited to the devotees of
Shiva
Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
over others. It states that the repeated listening of the text leads to increased devotion, culminating in the achievement of salvation.
[{{Cite book , last=J.L.Shastri , url=http://archive.org/details/SivaPuranaJ.L.ShastriPart4 , title=Siva Purana – English Translation – Part 4 of 4 , date=1950 , pages=2092–2093]
See also
* ''
Mangalacharana''
References
Sanskrit literature
Hindu literature
Sanskrit words and phrases