Shloka 33
Adhyāya 325: Nārada in Śvetadvīpa—Stotra to the Nirguṇa Mahātman
स तस्यासनमादिश्य निश्चक्राम ततः पुनः । त॑ चारुवेषा: सुश्रोण्यस्तरुण्य: प्रियदर्शना:
sa tasyāsanam ādiśya niścakrāma tataḥ punaḥ | taṁ cāruveṣāḥ suśroṇyas taruṇyaḥ priyadarśanāḥ, paraṁ pañcāśataṁ nāryo vāramukhyāḥ samādravan |
Bhīṣma said: Having indicated a suitable seat for him, the minister went out again. As soon as the minister had departed, fifty foremost courtesans hurried toward him—young women of captivating appearance, elegantly dressed, with graceful hips and pleasing forms. Their attire and ornaments heightened their beauty, and they were skilled in conversation as well as in song and dance, adept at reading the moods of others. In the ethical frame of the Śānti Parva, the scene functions as a deliberate test: the allure of pleasure and social charm is set before a spiritually oriented person to examine steadiness of mind and mastery over desire.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage underscores restraint and inner steadiness: worldly allure—beauty, art, charm, and sensual invitation—can be intentionally arranged as a test, and ethical strength is shown by not being driven by desire.
A minister arranges hospitality by indicating a seat and then leaves; immediately afterward, fifty prominent courtesans approach the guest, richly adorned and skilled in arts and conversation, suggesting a planned attempt to entice or examine his composure.