Shloka 236
Adhyāya 8: Saṃprahāra-varṇana and Bhīma–Kṣemadhūrti Dvipa-Yuddha
Combat Description and Elephant Duel
तृतीयमन्यं लोकेषु वृष॑ नैवानुशुश्रुम । देवताओंमें देवराज इन्द्रको वृष कहा गया है (क्योंकि वे जलकी वर्षा करते हैं), इसी प्रकार मनुष्योंमें भी कर्णको वृष कहा जाता था (क्योंकि वह याचकोंके लिये धनकी वर्षा करता था); इन दोके सिवा किसी तीसरे पुरुषको तीनों लोकोंमें वृष नाम दिया गया हो, वह मैंने नहीं सुना
tṛtīyam anyaṃ lokeṣu vṛṣa naivānuśuśruma | devatāsu devarāja indro vṛṣa ucyate (yato hi sa jalasya varṣaṃ karoti), tathā manuṣyeṣu karṇo 'pi vṛṣa ucyate (yato hi sa yācakebhyo dhanasya varṣaṃ karoti); etayoḥ dvayoḥ vinā tṛtīyaḥ kaścid api puruṣas triṣu lokeṣu vṛṣa-nāmābhihito mayā na śrutaḥ ||
“Aku tak pernah mendengar ada orang ketiga di dunia-dunia yang disebut ‘Vṛṣa’. Di antara para dewa, Indra—raja para dewa—disebut ‘Vṛṣa’ karena ia menurunkan hujan; dan di antara manusia, Karṇa disebut ‘Vṛṣa’ karena ia ‘menghujankan’ kekayaan kepada para pemohon. Selain dua itu, aku tak pernah mendengar siapa pun di tiga dunia menyandang nama ‘Vṛṣa’.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
True greatness is measured by beneficence: Indra ‘rains’ water for the world, and Karṇa ‘rains’ wealth for supplicants. The verse elevates generosity into a cosmic virtue, worthy of comparison with divine providence.
The narrator Vaiśampāyana highlights Karṇa’s renowned liberality by explaining his epithet ‘Vṛṣa’ and placing it alongside Indra’s title. He asserts that, across the three worlds, only these two are traditionally known by that designation.