Shloka 39

Devanagari script

तस्माद्‌ दीपा: प्रदातव्या: सायं वै गृहमेधिभि:

Transliteration

tasmād dīpāḥ pradātavyāḥ sāyaṃ vai gṛhamedhibhiḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് ഗൃഹസ്ഥർ സായാഹ്നത്തിൽ തീർച്ചയായും ദീപദാനം ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• दीपाः: lamps
• दीपाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रदातव्याः: are to be given/should be offered
• प्रदातव्याः: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Gerundive (तव्यत्), passive obligation

• सायम्: in the evening
• सायम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सायम्

• वै: indeed/assuredly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• गृहमेधिभिः: by householders
• गृहमेधिभिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहमेधिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• dīpa (lamp)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma teaches that giving light—specifically donating lamps at evening—is a practical form of dāna for householders, expressing dharma through everyday generosity that benefits others.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma and gifts, Bhīṣma continues advising on meritorious acts; here he prescribes evening lamp-giving as a recommended charitable duty for gṛhasthas.