Shloka 72
बालादित्यवपु:प्रख्यै: पुष्करैरुपशोभिताम् । वैदूर्यवर्णसदृशै: पद्मपत्रैरथावृताम्,प्रातःकालीन सूर्यके समान अरुण रंगके कमलपुष्प उस सरोवरकी शोभा बढ़ा रहे थे तथा वैदूर्यमणिकी-सी कान्तिवाले कमलिनीके पत्ते उसमें चारों ओर छा रहे थे
bhīṣma uvāca | bālādityavapuḥprakhyaiḥ puṣkarair upaśobhitām | vaidūryavarṇasadṛśaiḥ padmapatrair athāvṛtām |
Bhishma said: The lake was adorned with lotuses whose bodies shone like the hue of the young morning sun; and it was further covered all around with lotus-leaves gleaming like vaidūrya (the cat’s-eye gem). The scene suggests a pure and auspicious setting—serenity and clarity, and the moral atmosphere in which dharma is to be contemplated.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily sets an auspicious, serene atmosphere through luminous natural imagery. Such descriptions in the Anuśāsana Parva often frame ethical instruction: purity, clarity, and beauty in the environment mirror the inner clarity needed for understanding and practicing dharma.
Bhishma is describing a lake/pond scene: dawn-colored lotuses beautify it, and gem-like lotus-leaves spread over it. This functions as a vivid setting detail, preparing the listener for the moral and didactic discourse characteristic of this parva.