Shloka 76
छत्रोपानहदानफलप्रशंसा — Praise of the Merit of Donating Umbrella and Footwear
आनीय सा तदा तस्मै प्रादादसकृदच्युत । प्रभो! इस विषयमें महर्षि जमदग्नि और महात्मा भगवान् सूर्यके संवादका वर्णन किया जाता है। पूर्वकालकी बात है
ānīya sā tadā tasmai prādād asakṛd acyuta | prabho! asmin viṣaye maharṣi-jamadagni-mahātmā-bhagavat-sūryayoḥ saṃvādasya varṇanaṃ kathyate | pūrvakālasya vṛttāntam—ekadā bhṛgunandanaḥ bhagavān jamadagniḥ dhanur-vidhāna-krīḍāṃ kurvan āsīt | dharmāc cyuta na bhava yudhiṣṭhira! sa punaḥ punaḥ dhanuṣi bāṇān āropya tān mumoca, te ca sarve tejasvinaḥ bāṇāḥ patnyā reṇukayā ānīyānīya tasmai punar api pradīyante sma |
Bhīṣma dit : «Elle les apportait et, encore et encore, les lui remettait, ô Acyuta. Seigneur, à ce propos on rapporte le dialogue entre le sage Jamadagni et le magnanime Seigneur Sūrya. Jadis, un jour, Jamadagni, le bienheureux descendant de Bhṛgu, se livrait au jeu du tir à l’arc. Ô Yudhiṣṭhira, toi qui ne dévies pas du dharma, il posait sans cesse des flèches sur son arc et les décochait ; et son épouse Reṇukā allait chercher ces flèches éclatantes et les lui rendait, maintes et maintes fois.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage foregrounds steadfastness in dharma and the ethical texture of household life: disciplined practice by the sage and devoted, repeated service by Renuka. It sets up a traditional ‘saṃvāda’ (dialogue) as a vehicle for moral instruction, showing how righteousness is sustained through constancy and supportive duty.
Bhishma introduces an ancient episode: Jamadagni is practicing archery as a sport/training, repeatedly shooting arrows. Renuka retrieves the brilliant arrows and hands them back to him again and again. This serves as the narrative lead-in to the dialogue between Jamadagni and Surya that will be recounted on this topic.