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)
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 ||
Disse Vaiśampāyana: “Nunca ouvi falar de uma terceira pessoa, nos mundos, que fosse chamada ‘Vṛṣa’. Entre os deuses, Indra—senhor dos devas—é chamado ‘Vṛṣa’ porque faz cair a chuva; e entre os homens, Karṇa foi chamado ‘Vṛṣa’ porque ‘fazia chover’ riquezas sobre os suplicantes. Fora esses dois, não ouvi que alguém, nos três mundos, trouxesse o nome ‘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.