Shloka 5

Sūrya-stava: Dhaumya’s Counsel and the Aṣṭaśata-nāma of Sūrya

Devanagari script

धौग्य उवाच पुरा सृष्टानि भूतानि पीड्यन्ते क्षुधया भृशम्‌ । ततो<नुकम्पया तेषां सविता स्वपिता यथा,धौम्य बोले--राजन्‌! सृष्टिके प्रारम्भकालमें जब सभी प्राणी भूखसे अत्यन्त व्याकुल हो रहे थे, तब भगवान्‌ सूर्यने पिताकी भाँति उन सबपर दया करके उत्तरायणमें जाकर अपनी किरणोंसे पृथ्वीका रस (जल) खींचा और दक्षिणायनमें लौटकर पृथ्वीको उस रससे आविष्ट किया

Transliteration

Dhaumya uvāca: purā sṛṣṭāni bhūtāni pīḍyante kṣudhayā bhṛśam | tato 'nukampayā teṣāṃ savitā sva-pitā yathā |

Translation

Dhaumya nói: “Tâu Đại vương, thuở ban sơ của tạo hóa, khi muôn loài bị đói khát hành hạ dữ dội, Mặt Trời đã động lòng thương xót họ, như người cha thương con mình.”

Word by Word

धौम्यःDhaumya

उवाचsaid

पुराformerly, in the past

सृष्टानिcreated

भूतानिbeings, creatures

पीड्यन्तेwere afflicted, were tormented

क्षुधयाby hunger

भृशम्excessively, greatly

ततःthen, thereafter

अनुकम्पयाout of compassion

तेषाम्of them

सविताthe Sun (Savitar)

स्वपिताone's own father

यथाas, like

Speaker

धौग्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

ध

धौम्य (Dhaumya)

स

सविता / सूर्य (Savitā / Sūrya, the Sun)

भ

भूतानि (living beings)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Compassionate guardianship is dharmic: the Sun is portrayed as a fatherly protector who responds to the suffering of beings, suggesting that those with power (cosmic or royal) should sustain and protect dependents in times of need.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhaumya recounts an ancient situation where newly created beings were tormented by hunger; the Sun, moved by compassion, intervenes like a father would for his children, initiating a life-sustaining response.