Shloka 22
Bhīṣma’s Admonition; Duryodhana’s Rājasūya Aspiration and the Proposal of a Vaiṣṇava-satra
गणैरप्सरसां चैव त्रिदशानां तथा55त्मजै: । विहारशील: क्रीडार्थ तेन तत् संवृतं सर:,वे उन दिनों अप्सराओं तथा देवकुमारोंके साथ विभिन्न स्थानोंमें भ्रमण करते थे। उन्होंने स्वयं ही क्रीड़ाविहारके लिये उस सरोवरको सब ओरसे घेर लिया था
gaṇair apsarasāṃ caiva tridaśānāṃ tathātmajaiḥ | vihāraśīlaḥ krīḍārthaṃ tena tat saṃvṛtaṃ saraḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Accompanied by groups of Apsarases and by the sons of the gods, he was ever inclined to recreation. For the sake of sport and pleasure, he had that lake enclosed on all sides.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how power and privilege can turn shared natural spaces into exclusive arenas of pleasure. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical atmosphere, such enclosure for personal sport subtly contrasts with ideals of restraint and fair access, foreshadowing tensions that arise when desire overrides consideration for others.
Vaiśampāyana describes a figure who, together with Apsarases and divine youths, roams for enjoyment and has a particular lake surrounded on all sides so it becomes a private place for play and recreation.