Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तडागानां च वक्ष्यामि कृतानां चापि ये गुणा: । त्रिषु लोकेषु सर्वत्र पूजनीयस्तडागवान्‌,पोखरे बनवानेसे जो लाभ होते हैं, उनका भी मैं वर्णन करूँगा। पोखरे बनवानेवाला मनुष्य तीनों लोकोंमें सर्वत्र पूजनीय होता है

Transliteration

taḍāgānāṁ ca vakṣyāmi kṛtānāṁ cāpi ye guṇāḥ | triṣu lokeṣu sarvatra pūjanīyas taḍāgavān |

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Ich werde auch die Verdienste schildern, die den errichteten Teichen und Wasserbecken zukommen. Wer einen solchen Teich anlegt und erhält, wird überall in den drei Welten der Ehre würdig.“

Word by Word

तडागानाम्of ponds

चand

वक्ष्यामिI shall describe/speak

कृतानाम्of (those) made/constructed

चand

अपिalso/even

येwho/which (those who)

गुणाःqualities/benefits

त्रिषुin three

लोकेषुworlds

सर्वत्रeverywhere

पूजनीयःworthy of worship/honourable

तडागवान्one who has a pond / pond-builder (possessor of ponds)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

pond/reservoir (taḍāga)

three worlds (tri-loka)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Creating and sustaining public water resources is a high form of dharmic giving: it benefits many beings over time, and therefore brings lasting merit and universal honor to the benefactor.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction on gifts and righteous conduct, Bhishma continues his discourse by turning to the virtues of constructing ponds/reservoirs and begins outlining their benefits and the esteem gained by the builder.