Shloka 4
छत्रोपानहदानफलप्रशंसा — Praise of the Merit of Donating Umbrella and Footwear
भीष्म उवाच शृणु राजन्नवहितश्छत्रोपानहविस्तरम् । यथैतत् प्रथितं लोके यथा चैतत् प्रवर्तितम्
bhīṣma uvāca śṛṇu rājann avahitaś chatropānahavistaram | yathaitat prathitaṃ loke yathā caitat pravartitam ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Écoute avec attention, ô Roi, tandis que je rapporte en détail le récit de l’ombrelle et des chaussures. Entends comment cela devint célèbre dans le monde, et comment la pratique d’offrir ces dons fut d’abord instaurée puis répandue.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma frames a dharma-teaching on dāna by highlighting that even practical items like an umbrella and footwear can be ethically significant gifts; he will explain their origin and how their donation became an established, meritorious social practice.
Bhishma addresses the king and introduces a detailed account about the umbrella and footwear—specifically, how these objects and their gifting became famous in the world and how the custom of donating them began and spread.