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 ||
भीष्म ने कहा—राजन्! सावधान होकर छत्र और उपानह के विषय का विस्तार सुनो—यह लोक में कैसे प्रसिद्ध हुआ और यह प्रथा कैसे प्रवर्तित हुई।
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.