Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तस्यैवोर्ध्व॑ तिर्यगधश्षुरन्ति गभस्तयो मेदिनीं भासयन्त: । त॑ं ब्राह्मणा वेदविदो जुषन्ति तस्यादित्यो भामुपयुज्य भाति

Transliteration

tasyaivordhvaṁ tiryag adhaś ca śuranti gabhastayo medinīṁ bhāsayantaḥ | taṁ brāhmaṇā vedavido juṣanti tasyādityo bhām upayujya bhāti ||

Translation

அந்த ஒரே பரம்பொருளிலிருந்தே மேலே, குறுக்காக, கீழே எனக் கதிர்கள் பரவி பூமியை ஒளிரச் செய்கின்றன. வேதம் அறிந்த பிராமணர்கள் அதையே வணங்கி சேவிக்கின்றனர்; அவனுடைய ஒளியையே ஆதாரமாகக் கொண்டு சூரியன் பிரகாசிக்கிறான்.

Word by Word

• {'tasya eva': 'of Him alone

• from that very one', 'ūrdhvam': 'upward', 'tiryak': 'horizontally

• sideways', 'adhaḥ': 'downward', 'śuranti (√sṛ)': 'flow, stream forth, spread', 'gabhastayaḥ': 'rays

• beams of light', 'medinīm': 'the earth', 'bhāsayantaḥ (caus. √bhās)': 'illuminating

• making shine', 'brāhmaṇāḥ': 'Brahmins

• custodians of sacred learning', 'vedavidaḥ': 'knowers of the Veda', 'juṣanti (√juṣ)': 'honor, cherish, serve, attend upon', 'ādityaḥ': 'the Sun

• the solar deity', 'bhām': 'radiance

• light', 'upayujya (upa-√yuj)': 'having employed

• drawing upon', 'bhāti (√bhā)': 'shines

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Brahmins (Veda-knowers)
• Aditya (the Sun)
• Medini (Earth)
• Gabhastayaḥ (rays/beams)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

All illumination and order—symbolized by rays pervading every direction and even the Sun’s shining—depend on a single supreme source. Dharma is implied to be living in harmony with that source through Vedic insight, reverence, and disciplined service.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma describes a cosmic vision: rays spread in all directions to light the earth; Veda-knowing Brahmins honor that supreme principle; and the Sun itself shines by relying on that higher radiance.