Shloka 23
छत्रोपानहदानफलप्रशंसा — Praise of the Merit of Donating Umbrella and Footwear
अथाम्रेषु निगूढश्न रश्मिभि: परिवारित: । सप्तद्वीपानिमान ब्रह्मन् वर्षेणाभिप्रवर्षति
athāmreṣu nigūḍhaś ca raśmibhiḥ parivāritaḥ | sapta-dvīpān imān brahman varṣeṇābhipravarṣati ||
ビーシュマは言った。「婆羅門よ、太陽は雲のうちに身を隠し、光線の群れに取り巻かれながら、この七つの大陸（ドヴィーパ）に雨を注ぎ、季節の雨水で大地を満たすのだ。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the Sun’s regulated, life-sustaining rainfall as an image of cosmic order: even mighty forces operate within a disciplined pattern that nourishes the world. In Bhishma’s didactic context, such natural regularity implicitly models how rulers and individuals should act—steadily, responsibly, and for the welfare of all.
Bhishma, speaking as an instructor, describes a natural process: the Sun, though hidden by clouds, is still ‘surrounded by rays’ and causes rain to fall over the seven dvīpas, inundating the earth with seasonal waters. The description functions as an illustrative example within his broader counsel.