Shloka 106
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 dit : «Derrière eux s’avancent d’innombrables chars, attelés de lions et de tigres, retentissant comme le grondement profond des nuées d’orage. Progressant au milieu de joyeux cris de victoire, ces chars—d’or, sans tache et de bon augure—sont montés par des jeunes filles célestes.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.