Shloka 9

Devanagari script

सायं प्रातश्न सततं होमकाले महाद्युते । गावो ददति वै हौम्यमृषिभ्य: पुरुषर्षभ,“महातेजस्वी पुरुषप्रवर! प्रातः:काल और सायंकाल सदा होमके समय ऋषियोंको गौएँ ही हवनीय पदार्थ (घृत आदि) देती हैं

Transliteration

sāyaṃ prātaś ca satataṃ homakāle mahādyute | gāvo dadati vai haumyam ṛṣibhyaḥ puruṣarṣabha ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „O du von großem Glanz, o Stier unter den Menschen! Zu den Zeiten der Morgen- und Abendopfer—ja, beständig zur rechten Stunde des Homa—stellen die Kühe selbst den Weisen das Opfergut bereit (wie Ghee und dergleichen).“

Word by Word

सायम्in the evening

प्रातःin the morning

चand

सततम्always, continually

होमकालेat the time of the oblation (homa)

महाद्युतेO great-lustrous one

गावःcows

ददतिgive

वैindeed

हौम्यम्fit for offering in homa; oblation-material

ऋषिभ्यःto the sages

पुरुषर्षभO bull among men

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Ṛ

ṛṣis (sages)

gāvaḥ (cows)

homa (fire-offering)

haumya (oblation material, e.g., ghee)

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?

Cows are portrayed as direct supporters of dharma because their products—especially ghee—sustain the daily homa/agnihotra of sages and householders; honoring and protecting them is thus linked to maintaining Vedic duty and moral order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, instructing a ‘great-lustrous’ listener (typically Yudhiṣṭhira in this parva), explains the practical religious role of cows: at morning and evening homa times they ‘provide’ the necessary oblation materials for ṛṣis.