Shloka 4
Taḍāga-Phala and Vṛkṣāropaṇa
Merit of Ponds and Tree-Planting
प्रजानाथ! तब विप्ररूपधारी सूर्यने हाथ जोड़ प्रणाम करके मधुर वाणीद्वारा यों कहा -- ३ || चलं॑ निमित्तं विप्रर्षे सदा सूर्यस्य गच्छत: । कथं चल भेत्स्यसि त्वं सदा यान्तं दिवाकरम्
Prajānātha! tataḥ viprarūpadhārī sūryaḥ hastāñjalinā praṇamya madhurayā vāṇyā evaṃ uvāca — calaṃ nimittaṃ viprarṣe sadā sūryasya gacchataḥ | kathaṃ calaṃ bhetsyasi tvaṃ sadā yāntaṃ divākaram ||
«ឱ ព្រះអម្ចាស់នៃសត្វលោក! ព្រះអាទិត្យដែលស្លៀកពាក់រូបព្រាហ្មណ៍ បានដាក់ដៃជាប់គ្នាកោតក្រាប ហើយនិយាយដោយព្រះវាចាទន់ភ្លន់ថា៖ ‘ឱ ព្រាហ្មណ៍ឥសី! គោលដៅរបស់អ្នកគឺជារបស់ចល័ត ហើយព្រះអាទិត្យក៏ចល័តជានិច្ច។ ដូច្នេះ អ្នកនឹងបាញ់បំបែកគោលដៅដែលរអិលរអួល—អ្នកនឹងវាយប្រហារព្រះអាទិត្យដែលធ្វើដំណើរទៅមុខជានិច្ច—ដោយរបៀបណា?’»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the challenge of pursuing a goal that is inherently unstable or constantly changing. Ethically, it cautions against overconfidence and invites discernment: one must recognize the nature of the objective and cultivate the steadiness, method, and humility required to meet a difficult task—especially when the ‘target’ is as relentless as time and the Sun’s motion.
Bhishma narrates that the Sun, disguised as a brahmin, respectfully addresses a brahmin-seer and questions the feasibility of his aim: since the Sun is always moving, how can the sage hope to pierce such a shifting target? The speech functions as a test and a probing challenge within the story’s dialogue.