Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, 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

Mula sa Kanya lamang, ang mga sinag ay dumadaloy paitaas, patagilid, at pababa, na nagpapaliwanag sa daigdig. Ang mga Brahmanang nakaaalam ng Veda ay gumagalang at naglilingkod sa mismong Prinsipyong iyon; at ang Araw ay nagniningning sa pag-asa sa Kanyang liwanag.

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.