Shloka 7
Bhīṣma’s Admonition; Duryodhana’s Rājasūya Aspiration and the Proposal of a Vaiṣṇava-satra
स च पौरजन: सर्व: सैनिकाश्न सहस्रश: | यथोपजोषं चिक्रीडुर्वने तस्मिन् यथामरा:,वे समस्त पुरवासी और सहस्रोंकी संख्यामें आये हुए सैनिक उस वनमें अपनी-अपनी रुचिके अनुसार देवताओंके समान क्रीड़ा करने लगे
sa ca paurajanaḥ sarvaḥ sainikāś ca sahasraśaḥ | yathopajoṣaṃ cikrīḍur vane tasmin yathāmarāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: All the townspeople, along with the soldiers who had come in their thousands, began to sport in that forest according to each one’s own liking—moving about with the carefree ease of the gods.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents enjoyment (krīḍā) as permissible when it remains orderly and aligned with one’s nature and circumstance—“according to one’s liking” (yathopajoṣam)—suggesting that pleasure is not opposed to dharma when it is measured and context-appropriate.
The citizens and thousands of accompanying soldiers enter the forest and begin to amuse themselves there, each in their preferred way, described poetically as being like the gods in their carefree sport.