Shloka 14
कान्ताभिरपरांस्तत्र परिष्वक्तान् ददर्श ह | न ददर्श च तान् भूयो ददर्श च पुनर्नुप:,पृथ्वीनाथ! कहीं झुंड-की-झुंड अप्सराएँ विहार कर रही थीं। कहीं गन्धर्वोके समुदाय अपनी प्रियतमाओंके आलिंगन-पाशमें बँधे हुए थे। उन सबको राजाने देखा। वे कभी उन्हें देख पाते थे और कभी नहीं देख पाते थे
kāntābhir aparāṁs tatra pariṣvaktān dadarśa ha | na dadarśa ca tān bhūyo dadarśa ca punar nṛpaḥ |
Bhishma said: “There the king beheld others clasped in the embrace of their beloveds. Yet again he could not see them; and then once more he saw them. Thus, in that wondrous realm of celestial pleasures, perception itself wavered—hinting that delight and attachment are unstable, and that what is sought through sense-enjoyment cannot be held with certainty.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when pleasure and companionship appear attainable, they are unstable and intermittently perceived; this underscores the unreliability of sense-based fulfillment and encourages restraint and detachment aligned with dharma.
Bhishma describes a king witnessing beings absorbed in embraces with their beloveds, but the vision flickers—sometimes visible, sometimes not—suggesting a wondrous or illusory realm where perception and enjoyment are not steady.