Shloka 48

Pānīya-dāna and Anna-dāna: The Primacy of Life-Sustaining Gifts (पानीयदान-प्रशंसा / अन्नदान-प्रशंसा)

Devanagari script

वैदूर्यार्फप्रकाशानि रौप्पयरुक्ममयानि च । सर्वकामफलाश्लापि वृक्षा भवनसंस्थिता:

Transliteration

vaidūryārkaprakāśāni raupyarukmamayāni ca | sarvakāmaphalāślāpi vṛkṣā bhavanasamsthitāḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Certaines de ces demeures étincellent comme le soleil, irradiées par des gemmes de vaidūrya (œil-de-chat) ; d’autres sont façonnées d’argent et d’or. Dans ces habitations se dressent de nombreux arbres splendides, portant des fruits qui accordent toute jouissance désirée.»

Word by Word

• वैदूर्य-अर्क-प्रकाशानि: shining like the sun with vaidūrya (lapis/beryl) radiance
• वैदूर्य-अर्क-प्रकाशानि: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैदूर्य + अर्क + प्रकाश
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• रौप्य-रुक्म-मयानि: made of silver and gold
• रौप्य-रुक्म-मयानि: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौप्य + रुक्म + मय
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सर्व-काम-फल-आश्लापिनः: granting/producing fruits of all desired wishes
• सर्व-काम-फल-आश्लापिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + काम + फल + आश्लापिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वृक्षाः: trees
• वृक्षाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भवन-संस्थिताः: situated in/within the mansions
• भवन-संस्थिताः: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भवन + संस्थित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• vaidūrya (cat’s-eye gem)
• sun (arka)
• silver (raupya)
• gold (rukma)
• mansions/dwellings (bhavana)
• wish-fulfilling fruit-bearing trees (sarvakāmaphalāślāpi vṛkṣāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse reinforces the Mahabharata’s moral causality: righteous conduct and accumulated merit are portrayed as yielding refined, abundant enjoyments—symbolized by radiant jewel-like dwellings and trees that grant desired fruits—while implicitly reminding that such rewards are outcomes of dharma-based living.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is describing a splendid otherworldly setting—mansions shining with vaidūrya, silver, and gold, adorned with trees that bear wish-fulfilling fruits—continuing his account of the rewards and conditions found in exalted realms.