Shloka 20

Tapas as the Root of Attainment (तपः—साधनमूलप्रशंसा)

Devanagari script

तथैव मृगजातीभिरन्याभिरभिशो भसे । तथा सर्वाधिवासैश्व शोभसे मेरुवद्द्रुम

Transliteration

tathaiva mṛgajātībhiḥ anyābhiḥ abhiśobhase | tathā sarvādhivāsaiś ca śobhase meruvad drumam ||

Translation

Bhishma dit : «De même, d’autres et d’autres espèces de cerfs et de bêtes sauvages ajoutent à ta beauté. Et parce que tu es demeure pour tous, tu resplendis tel le mont Meru, ô arbre éminent !»

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, in the same way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• मृग: deer; wild animal
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग
• Form: Masculine, Stem (in compound), —

• जातिभिः: by kinds/species
• जातिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• अन्याभिः: by other (kinds)
• अन्याभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• अभिशोभसे: you shine forth; you are splendid
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुभ्
• Form: Lat (Present), Atmanepada, Second, Singular

• तथा: thus, likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• सर्व: all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: —, Stem (in compound), —

• अधिवासैः: by dwellings/abodes; by being a dwelling-place
• अधिवासैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिवास
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

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

• शोभसे: you are splendid; you shine
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुभ्
• Form: Lat (Present), Atmanepada, Second, Singular

• मेरु: Meru (mountain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु
• Form: Masculine, Stem (in compound), —

• वत्: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वत्

• द्रुम: O tree
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• mṛga (wild animals/deer)
• Meru (Mount Meru)
• druma (a great tree)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True excellence is to become a support and refuge for many. Like a great tree that shelters diverse creatures, a virtuous person (or ruler) gains splendor by protecting and accommodating others.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is praising a ‘best of trees’ using vivid natural imagery: various wild animals enhance its beauty, and because it serves as a common dwelling-place, it is compared to Mount Meru in grandeur.