Shloka 4
तमप्सरोगणाकीर्ण शान्तस्वननिनादितम् | किन्नराणां सहसैश्व॒ भूड़जैस्तथैव च,उस पर्वतपर सब ओर अप्सराएँ विचर रही थीं। चारों ओर विविध प्राणियोंकी शान्तिमयी ध्वनिसे वहाँका सारा प्रान्त व्याप्त हो रहा था। सहस्रों किन्नर, भ्रमर, मदगु, विचित्र खंजरीट, चकोर, सैकड़ों मधुर वाणीसे सुशोभित विचित्र वर्णवाले मयूर, राजहंसोंके समुदाय तथा काले कोकिल वहाँ अपनी शान्त मधुर ध्वनि फैला रहे थे
tam apsarogaṇākīrṇaṃ śāntasvananināditam | kinnarāṇāṃ sahasraiś ca bhṛṅgaiś tathaiva ca ||
Bhīṣma said: That mountain region was thronged with hosts of apsarases, and it resounded with gentle, peace-bearing sounds. There too were thousands of kinnaras, and likewise swarms of bees—so that the whole place seemed pervaded by a calm, sweet harmony, suggesting a world ordered by serenity rather than conflict.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse implicitly contrasts the noise of conflict with the harmony of a dharmic, sanctified space: serenity, gentle speech/sound, and ordered beauty are presented as marks of auspiciousness and inner restraint—values central to Śānti Parva’s ethical vision.
Bhīṣma is describing a mountain region (a sacred, idyllic setting) as being filled with apsarases and echoing with calm sounds, with kinnaras and bees present—building an atmosphere of peace and auspiciousness through sensory detail.