Shloka 14

Taḍāga-Phala and Vṛkṣāropaṇa

Merit of Ponds and Tree-Planting

Devanagari script

सूर्य उवाच महर्षे शिरसस्त्राणं छत्र॑ मद्रश्मिवारणम्‌ । प्रतिगृह्लीष्व पद्भ्यां च त्राणार्थ चर्मपादुके

Transliteration

sūrya uvāca | maharṣe śirasaḥ trāṇaṁ chatraṁ mad-raśmi-vāraṇam | pratigṛhlīṣva padbhyāṁ ca trāṇārthaṁ carma-pāduke ||

Translation

Surya said: “O great sage, accept this parasol as protection for your head; it will ward off my rays. And accept these leather sandals as well, offered to protect your feet from being scorched.”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'sūrya uvāca', 'definition': 'Surya said'}, {'term': 'maharṣe', 'definition': 'O great sage (vocative of maharṣi)'}, {'term': 'śirasaḥ', 'definition': 'of the head'}, {'term': 'trāṇam', 'definition': 'protection, safeguard'}, {'term': 'chatram', 'definition': 'parasol, umbrella (royal/sacral emblem

• here for shade)'}, {'term': 'mad-raśmi-vāraṇam', 'definition': 'that which wards off my rays (mad = my

• vāraṇa = preventing)'}, {'term': 'pratigṛhlīṣva', 'definition': 'please accept, receive (imperative)'}, {'term': 'padbhyām', 'definition': 'for the feet / with respect to the feet (dual/instrumental sense)'}, {'term': 'trāṇārtham', 'definition': 'for the purpose of protection'}, {'term': 'carma-pāduke', 'definition': 'leather sandals (pair of footwear)'}]

Speaker

सूर्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya (Sun-god)
• Maharṣi (great sage)
• Chatra (parasol)
• Carma-pāduke (leather sandals)
• Raśmi (sunrays)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even a powerful being should act with consideration for others’ well-being: protection from harm (heat, hardship) and timely, practical gifts are presented as dharmic care rather than mere display.

What is happening in the narrative?

Surya addresses a great sage and offers two protective items—a parasol to shield the head from the sun’s rays and leather sandals to prevent the feet from being scorched—asking the sage to accept them.