पुष्पिताः फलवन्तश्च तर्पयन्तीह मानवान्। वृक्षदं पुत्रवत् वृक्षास्तारयन्ति परत्र च॥
puṣpitāḥ phalavantaś ca tarpayantīha mānavān । vṛkṣadaṁ putravat vṛkṣās tarayanti paratra ca ॥
Meaning of Puṣpitāḥ Phalavantaś Ca Tarpayantīha
Just as trees bearing fruits and flowers while being near satisfy humans, in the same way trees provide all kinds of benefits to the person who plants trees even while living far away.
Word by word
- पुष्पिताःpuṣpitāḥ
in flower
√पुष्प्
- फलवन्तःphalavantaḥ
bearing fruit
फल
- चca
and
- तर्पयन्तिtarpayanti
satisfy
√तृप्
- इहiha
here, in this world
- मानवान्mānavān
people
मनु
- वृक्षदम्vṛkṣadam
the giver of trees, the planter
वृक्ष + √दा
- पुत्रवत्putravat
as sons do
पुत्र
- वृक्षाःvṛkṣāḥ
the trees
वृक्ष
- तारयन्तिtārayanti
carry across
√तॄ
- परत्रparatra
in the world beyond
पर
paratra is the hereafter, not 'from a distance'.
Commentary
This beautiful verse from the Mahabharata compares the act of planting trees to raising children. It suggests that just as children bring joy and support to their parents, trees provide sustenance and satisfaction to humanity. The spiritual dimension is added by stating that trees 'save' or benefit the planter even in the afterlife, emphasizing the long-term karmic rewards of environmental stewardship and selfless service to nature. The shared meaning reads paratra as 'from a distance', while it means 'in the world beyond'. The verse says that planted trees carry the planter across in the next world just as sons do (putravat), and this transfer of merit is the line's whole point.
Sources and textual variants
Original Post
More from Mahabharata
View source pageनित्यं परिचरेच्चैव तद्वै सुकृतमुत्तमम्। कीर्तिं पुण्यं यशो लोकान् प्राप्स्यसे राजसत्तम॥
nityaṃ paricareccaiva tadvai sukṛtamuttamam । kīrtiṃ puṇyaṃ yaśo lokān prāpsyase rājasattama ॥
Daily service is praised as an excellent deed that brings merit, renown and higher realms.
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च। निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी॥
adveṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṃ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca । nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī ॥
The Bhagavad Gita describes a character free from hatred and ego, friendly to all beings and steady in joy and sorrow.
स्वे स्वे कर्मण्यभिरतः संसिद्धिं लभते नरः। स्वकर्मनिरतः सिद्धिं यथा विन्दति तच्छृणु॥
sve sve karmaṇyabhirataḥ saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ । svakarmanirataḥ siddhiṁ yathā vindati tacchṛṇu ॥
The Bhagavad Gita teaches that devotion to one's own work is a path to perfection.
More subhashitams on Selfless Service
View topic pageभस्मीकृतस्वार्थसौख्यपरिचर्चितविग्रहाः। स्वराज्ययोगनिर्मग्ना धन्यास्ते वीरयोगिनः॥
bhasmīkṛtasvārthasaukhyaparicarcitavigrahāḥ । svarājyayoganirmagnā dhanyās te vīrayoginaḥ ॥
The verse praises heroic practitioners who renounce personal comforts and devote themselves fully to self-rule.
ज्ञानवांश्च तथा वाग्मी कर्मस्वपि च निष्ठितः। एवं युक्तोऽपि न श्रेयान् यदि शीलविवर्जितः॥
jñānavāṃśca tathā vāgmī karmasvapi ca niṣṭhitaḥ । evaṃ yukto'pi na śreyān yadi śīlavivarjitaḥ ॥
Knowledge, eloquence, and skill in work do not make a person worthy of esteem if good character is absent.
शुचित्वं त्यागिता शौर्यं सामान्यं सुखदुःखयोः। दाक्षिण्यं चानुरक्तिश्च सत्यता च सुहृद्गुणाः॥
śucitvaṃ tyāgitā śauryaṃ sāmānyaṃ sukhaduḥkhayoḥ । dākṣiṇyaṃ cānuraktiśca satyatā ca suhṛdguṇāḥ ॥
Purity, generosity, courage, steadiness in joy and sorrow, courtesy, affection, and truthfulness are the qualities of a true friend.