Shloka 21

Āśrama-dharma and Brahmacarya: Śuka’s Inquiry on Karma and Tyāga (शुक-प्रश्नः कर्मत्यागविवेकश्च)

Devanagari script

दिव्यमष्टशलाकं तु सौवर्ण परमर्द्धिमत्‌ । छत्र॑ देवावृधो दत्त्वा सराष्ट्रो5भ्यपतद्‌ दिवम्‌

Transliteration

divyam aṣṭaśalākaṃ tu sauvarṇaṃ paramarddhimat | chatraṃ devāvṛdho dattvā sarāṣṭro 'bhyapatad divam ||

Translation

毗耶娑说：天增王（Devāvṛdha）布施一柄金制华盖，价值无上，具八辐之骨；以此功德，他与其国土同登天界（亦即与其疆域与臣民同受其福）。此颂强调“檀那”之力：君王以正义所献之施，能成为身后崇高归宿之因，其利益亦超越施主，及于其所庇护之众。

Word by Word

• दिव्यम्: divine, celestial
• दिव्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अष्ट-शलाकम्: having eight ribs/spokes (eight slats)
• अष्ट-शलाकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टशलाक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• सौवर्णम्: made of gold
• सौवर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौवर्ण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• परम-ऋद्धिमत्: possessing supreme wealth/splendour; very precious
• परम-ऋद्धिमत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परमृद्धिमत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• देवावृधः: Devāvṛdha (proper name)
• देवावृधः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवावृध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दत्त्वा: having given
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• स-राष्ट्रः: together with (his) kingdom/realm
• स-राष्ट्रः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभ्यपतत्: flew up, went (swiftly) towards
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दिवम्: heaven, the sky
• दिवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Devāvṛdha
• divam (heaven)
• chatra (royal parasol/umbrella)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Righteous giving (dāna), especially of valuable and symbolically significant gifts, generates great merit (puṇya) leading to heavenly attainment; the king’s dharmic conduct is portrayed as benefiting not only himself but also his realm/people.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa narrates an exemplum: King Devāvṛdha donates a magnificent golden parasol with eight ribs, and as a result he ascends to heaven ‘with his kingdom,’ indicating the expansive, protective scope of a king’s merit when he practices dharma through generosity.