Shloka 17

Taḍāga-Phala and Vṛkṣāropaṇa

Merit of Ponds and Tree-Planting

Devanagari script

तस्मात्‌ प्रयच्छ विप्रेषु छत्रोपानहमुत्तमम्‌ । धर्मस्तेषु महान्‌ भावी न मे<त्रास्ति विचारणा

Transliteration

tasmāt prayaccha vipreṣu chatropānaham uttamam | dharmas teṣu mahān bhāvī na me 'trāsti vicāraṇā ||

Translation

因此，当以精良之伞与履，施与婆罗门。由此布施，将生广大之法德功业；对此我毫无疑虑。

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that reason
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• प्रयच्छ: give (you should give)
• प्रयच्छ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (यच्छ-आदेशः)
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular

• विप्रेषु: among/to Brahmins
• विप्रेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• छत्र: umbrella
• छत्र: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: छत्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उपानहम्: shoe/footwear
• उपानहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपानह्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उत्तमम्: excellent/best
• उत्तमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धर्मः: merit/dharma
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तेषु: in them/among them
• तेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

• महान्: great
• महान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भावी: will be/going to be
• भावी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भू (भाविन्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• मे: of me/to me (my)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• अस्ति: is/exists
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular

• विचारणा: doubt/deliberation
• विचारणा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचारणा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Brahmins (vipra)
• umbrella (chatra)
• footwear (upānaha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that practical, need-based gifts—such as umbrellas and footwear—given to Brahmins are a form of dharmic charity that yields great religious merit, and he affirms this without hesitation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma (Anushasana Parva), he recommends specific charitable acts to the listener, emphasizing that such offerings generate significant dharma and expressing certainty about their value.