Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 15
Śrī-nivāsa: Traits and Conditions for the Abode of Prosperity (श्री-निवासः)
वसामि फुल्लासु च पद्मिनीषु नक्षत्रवीथीषु च शारदीषु । गजेषु गोछ्ठेषु तथा55सनेषु सर:सु फुल्लोत्पलपड्कजेषु
bhīṣma uvāca | vasāmi phullāsu ca padminīṣu nakṣatravīthīṣu ca śāradīṣu | gajeṣu goṣṭheṣu tathāsaneṣu saraḥsu phullotpalapaṅkajeṣu ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Je demeure sans cesse en des lieux de beauté et de pureté de bon augure : dans les étangs de lotus en pleine floraison, dans les voies étoilées et limpides du ciel d’automne, parmi les nobles éléphants et les étables bien tenues, sur de beaux sièges, et dans les lacs ornés de lotus bleus et de lotus épanouis.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A sacred, auspicious force is portrayed as residing where dharmic qualities manifest—cleanliness, harmony, prosperity, and serene beauty. The verse implies that ethical living and well-ordered spaces attract and sustain auspiciousness.
In Bhishma’s discourse in the Anushasana Parva, he describes the abiding places of auspiciousness (or a revered presence), listing emblematic locations—lotus waters, autumn starry skies, elephants, cow-stalls, fine seats, and lotus-filled lakes—to teach what environments signify and support dharma.