Shloka 4
धर्मस्य बहुद्वारत्वम् — Nārada’s Audience with Indra (Śānti-parva 340)
प्रवालाड्कुरवर्णश्न श्वेतवर्णस्तथा क्वचित् | क्वचित् सुवर्णवर्णाभो वैदूर्यसदृश: क्वचित्,कहीं नवांकुरित पल्लवके समान था। कहीं श्वेतवर्ण दिखायी देता था, कहीं सुनहरी आभा दिखायी देती थी और कहीं-कहीं वैदूर्यमणिकी-सी छटा छिटक रही थी
pravālāṅkuravarṇaś ca śvetavarṇas tathā kvacit | kvacit suvarṇavarṇābho vaidūryasadṛśaḥ kvacit ||
Bhīṣma said: “At times it appeared like the hue of fresh coral-red sprouts; at times it looked white. Sometimes it shone with a golden radiance, and sometimes it displayed a luster like the vaidūrya gem.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights shifting appearances—white, golden, coral-red, gem-like—suggesting that what is perceived can vary by condition and viewpoint. In Śānti Parva’s ethical frame, such imagery supports reflection on discernment (viveka): one should not cling to surface appearances but seek the underlying truth that guides dharma.
Bhīṣma is describing an object or phenomenon whose color and luster appear in multiple ways—like tender coral sprouts, white, golden, or like the vaidūrya gem—using vivid sensory detail as part of a larger explanatory discourse in Śānti Parva.