Shloka 35
Adhyāya 325: Nārada in Śvetadvīpa—Stotra to the Nirguṇa Mahātman
स्मितपूर्वाभिभाषिण्यो रूपेणाप्सरसां समा: | कामोपचारकुशला भावज्ञा: सर्वकोविदा:
smitapūrvābhibhāṣiṇyo rūpeṇāpsarasāṃ samāḥ | kāmopacārakuśalā bhāvajñāḥ sarvakovidāḥ ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „Sie sprechen, während schon ein Lächeln auf ihren Lippen liegt; an Schönheit sind sie den Apsaras gleich. Kundig in den Künsten des liebenden Dienstes, verstehen sie Stimmung und Absicht eines Menschen und sind in jeder Feinheit vollendet.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how refined charm and emotional intelligence can be used to influence others; ethically, it points to the need for vigilance and self-mastery so that one is not led away from dharma by allure and calculated attentiveness.
Bhīṣma is describing a group of women characterized by captivating beauty, smiling speech, and skill in pleasing conduct—emphasizing their ability to read emotions and act expertly, typically in a context warning about seduction or the power of sensual attraction.