मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity
सिंहव्याप्रप्रयुक्तैस्तु मेघनि:स्वननादितैः
siṁha-vyāghra-prayuktaiḥ tu megha-niḥsvana-nāditaiḥ | tataḥ paścāt bahu-saṅkhyakā rathāḥ sānandaṁ vijaya-ghoṣaṁ kurvantaḥ pravartante | teṣu suvarṇa-mayeṣu nirmaleṣu maṅgala-kāriṣu ratheṣu deva-kanyā āruḍhā bhavanti |
Bhīṣma dijo: «Tras ellos avanzan innumerables carros, uncidos con leones y tigres, y resonantes como el hondo bramido de las nubes de trueno. Marchando con gozosos clamores de victoria, aquellos carros—dorados, inmaculados y auspiciosos—van montados por doncellas celestiales.»
भीष्म उवाच
The passage underscores the ideal of auspicious, righteous sovereignty: victory and splendor are portrayed as orderly, joyful, and ‘maṅgala’ (beneficial), suggesting that power is most fitting when aligned with auspiciousness and dharmic order rather than mere violence.
Bhishma describes a grand, otherworldly procession: innumerable chariots thunder forward, dramatically yoked with lions and tigers, proclaiming victory; these radiant, golden chariots are occupied by celestial maidens, heightening the scene’s divine and celebratory tone.