Shloka 24

Phala of Vrata, Niyama, Svādhyāya, Dama, Satya, Brahmacarya, and Service (व्रत-नियम-स्वाध्याय-दम-सत्य-ब्रह्मचर्य-शुश्रूषा-फलप्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

वैदूर्यार्फप्रकाशानि रूप्यरुक्ममयानि च । तरुणादित्यवर्णानि स्थावराणि चराणि च

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | vaidūryārkaprakāśāni rūpyarukmamayāni ca | taruṇādityavarṇāni sthāvarāṇi carāṇi ca |

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Certains de ces palais aériens brillaient de l’éclat du vaidūrya (œil-de-chat) et du soleil ; d’autres étaient façonnés d’argent et d’or. Certains luisaient de la teinte rougeâtre du jeune soleil du matin. Parmi ces vimānas, les uns demeuraient immobiles, tandis que d’autres pouvaient se mouvoir à volonté.»

Word by Word

• वैदूर्य: cat's-eye gem (vaidūrya)
• वैदूर्य: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैदूर्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (as first member in compound), Plural (implied via agreement with प्रकाशानि)

• अर्क: sun
• अर्क: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क
• Form: Masculine, Nominative/Accusative (as first member in compound), Singular (as compound member)

• प्रकाशानि: lights, splendors (having the brilliance of ...)
• प्रकाशानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकाश
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• रूप्य: silver
• रूप्य: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (as compound member), Singular (as compound member)

• रुक्म: gold
• रुक्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्म
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (as compound member), Singular (as compound member)

• मयानि: made of (silver and gold)
• मयानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मय
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

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

• तरुण: young, early (morning)
• तरुण: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तरुण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (as first member in compound), Singular

• आदित्य: sun
• आदित्य: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (as compound member), Singular

• वर्णानि: colors/hues (like the early sun)
• वर्णानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• स्थावराणि: stationary, fixed
• स्थावराणि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थावर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• चराणि: moving, roaming
• चराणि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

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

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• vimānas (aerial mansions/vehicles)
• vaidūrya (cat’s-eye gem)
• silver
• gold
• sun (arka/āditya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the Mahabharata’s moral imagination: righteous merit (dharma) is portrayed as yielding refined, luminous rewards—symbolized by radiant, gem-like, gold-and-silver vimānas—suggesting that ethical conduct culminates in elevated states of being and honor.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is describing splendid vimānas—some shining like cat’s-eye gems and the sun, some made of silver and gold, some red like the morning sun—distinguishing between those that are stationary and those that can move freely at will.