Shloka 24

Phala of Vrata, Niyama, Svādhyāya, Dama, Satya, Brahmacarya, and Service (व्रत-नियम-स्वाध्याय-दम-सत्य-ब्रह्मचर्य-शुश्रूषा-फलप्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

वैदूर्यार्फप्रकाशानि रूप्यरुक्ममयानि च । तरुणादित्यवर्णानि स्थावराणि चराणि च

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | vaidūryārkaprakāśāni rūpyarukmamayāni ca | taruṇādityavarṇāni sthāvarāṇi carāṇi ca |

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Có những lâu đài trên không rực lên ánh vaidūrya (ngọc mắt mèo) và ánh mặt trời; có những tòa được đúc bằng bạc và vàng. Có những nơi đỏ hồng như mặt trời non buổi sớm. Trong số các vimāna ấy, có cái đứng yên bất động, có cái lại có thể đi lại theo ý muốn.”

Word by Word

• वैदूर्य: cat's-eye gem (vaidūrya)
• वैदूर्य: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैदूर्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (as first member in compound), Plural (implied via agreement with प्रकाशानि)

• अर्क: sun
• अर्क: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क
• Form: Masculine, Nominative/Accusative (as first member in compound), Singular (as compound member)

• प्रकाशानि: lights, splendors (having the brilliance of ...)
• प्रकाशानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकाश
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• रूप्य: silver
• रूप्य: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (as compound member), Singular (as compound member)

• रुक्म: gold
• रुक्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्म
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (as compound member), Singular (as compound member)

• मयानि: made of (silver and gold)
• मयानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मय
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• तरुण: young, early (morning)
• तरुण: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तरुण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (as first member in compound), Singular

• आदित्य: sun
• आदित्य: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (as compound member), Singular

• वर्णानि: colors/hues (like the early sun)
• वर्णानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• स्थावराणि: stationary, fixed
• स्थावराणि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थावर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• चराणि: moving, roaming
• चराणि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• vimānas (aerial mansions/vehicles)
• vaidūrya (cat’s-eye gem)
• silver
• gold
• sun (arka/āditya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the Mahabharata’s moral imagination: righteous merit (dharma) is portrayed as yielding refined, luminous rewards—symbolized by radiant, gem-like, gold-and-silver vimānas—suggesting that ethical conduct culminates in elevated states of being and honor.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is describing splendid vimānas—some shining like cat’s-eye gems and the sun, some made of silver and gold, some red like the morning sun—distinguishing between those that are stationary and those that can move freely at will.