Shloka 21

छत्रोपानहदानफलप्रशंसा — Praise of the Merit of Donating Umbrella and Footwear

Devanagari script

कुन्तीनन्दन! उन्हें युद्धके लिये तैयार देख सूर्यदेव ब्राह्मणका रूप धारण करके उनके पास आये और बोले--'ब्रह्मन! सूर्यने आपका क्या अपराध किया है? ।।

Transliteration

kuntīnandana! tān yuddhāya sajjān dṛṣṭvā sūryadevo brāhmaṇarūpaṃ dhṛtvā teṣāṃ samīpam āgacchat, uvāca ca— “brāhman! sūryeṇa te kim aparāddham? ādattē raśmibhiḥ sūryo divi tiṣṭhaṃs tataḥ tataḥ; rasaṃ dṛtaṃ vai varṣāsu pravarṣati divākaraḥ.”

Translation

కౌంతేయా! అతడు యుద్ధానికి సిద్ధమై ఉన్నదాన్ని చూచి సూర్యదేవుడు ద్విజరూపమును ధరించి సమీపమునకు వచ్చి పలికెను—“బ్రాహ్మణా! సూర్యుడు నీకు ఏ అపరాధము చేసెను? ఆకాశమున నిలిచి సవితా తన కిరణములచే భూమి యొక్క రసమును ఆకర్షించుచున్నాడు; వర్షాకాలమున దివాకరుడు అదే రసమును వర్షముగా మళ్లీ కురిపించుచున్నాడు.”

Word by Word

• आदत्ते: takes, draws (up)
• आदत्ते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा (डुदाञ्)
• Form: Lat, Ātmanepada, 3, Singular, Present

• रश्मिभिः: by (his) rays
• रश्मिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रश्मि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सूर्यः: the Sun
• सूर्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दिवि: in heaven / in the sky
• दिवि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• तिष्ठन्: standing, being situated
• तिष्ठन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (तिष्ठति)
• Form: Śatṛ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ततः: from there; then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• ततः: again and again; thence
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• रसम्: sap, moisture, essence
• रसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• द्वितम्: a second time / again
• द्वितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वित (from द्वि)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• वर्षासु: in the rainy seasons / during rains
• वर्षासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्षा
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• प्रवर्षति: rains down, pours forth
• प्रवर्षति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वृष्
• Form: Lat, Parasmaipada, 3, Singular, Present

• दिवाकरः: the Sun (maker of day)
• दिवाकरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवाकर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Kuntīnandana (son of Kuntī)
• Sūrya (Sun-god/Divākara)
• Brāhmaṇa (assumed form)
• Diva (sky)
• Vasudhā (earth)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a moral logic of reciprocity and beneficence: the Sun ‘takes’ moisture only to return it as rain, sustaining the world. Therefore, judging or opposing such a benefactor is ethically questionable; one should discern the larger dharmic cycle behind apparent ‘taking.’

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates that, when the warriors were ready for battle, Sūrya approached them disguised as a brāhmaṇa and questioned why they regarded the Sun as an offender, explaining the Sun’s life-sustaining role in drawing up the earth’s moisture and raining it back in due season.