Shloka 18
Tapas as the Root of Attainment (तपः—साधनमूलप्रशंसा)
एषां पृथक् समस्तानां श्रूयते मधुरस्वर: । पुष्पसम्मोदने काले वाशतां सुमनोहरम्,“वसन्त ऋतुमें अत्यन्त मनोरम बोली बोलनेवाले इन पक्षियोंका अलग-अलग तथा सबका एक साथ बड़ा मधुर स्वर सुनायी पड़ता है
eṣāṃ pṛthak samastānāṃ śrūyate madhurasvaraḥ | puṣpasammodane kāle vāśatāṃ sumanoharam ||
Bhishma dijo: «La voz de estas aves es dulce, ya se las oiga por separado o todas a la vez. En la estación en que las flores se abren y deleitan los sentidos—la primavera—sus cantos se vuelven extraordinariamente encantadores».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma uses the sweetness of birdsong in spring as a calm, contemplative image: harmony can be perceived both in individual voices and in their collective chorus, encouraging a mind inclined toward peace and balanced appreciation rather than agitation.
In the Śānti Parva discourse, Bhīṣma describes the springtime scene—flowers blooming and birds calling—highlighting how their sounds are pleasing whether heard separately or together, as part of a broader reflective teaching to Yudhiṣṭhira.