Shloka 51
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
सकृप्प्रभिन्नैश्व गजैर्विं भूषित॑ प्रहृषष्नानाविधपक्षिसेवितम् । सुपुष्पितैरम्बुधरप्रकाशै- महीरुहाणां च वनैर्विचित्रै:
sakṛt-prabhinnaiś ca gajair vibhūṣitaṃ prahṛṣṭa-nānā-vidha-pakṣi-sevitam | su-puṣpitair ambudhara-prakāśair mahī-ruhāṇāṃ ca vanair vicitram ||
Vāsudeva dit : Le bosquet de l’āśrama était orné d’éléphants dont les tempes n’avaient éclaté qu’une seule fois, laissant couler la première liqueur du rut. Bien des espèces d’oiseaux, joyeux et criant d’allégresse, fréquentaient les arbres. Les bois variés, riches en grands arbres, étaient en pleine floraison—brillants comme des nuées de pluie—si bien que l’āśrama tout entier paraissait d’une beauté singulière et paisible.
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse reinforces the Mahābhārata’s ethical valuation of the āśrama as a space of dharma: harmony with nature, calmness, and restraint. The serene, flourishing environment functions as a moral backdrop—suggesting that inner discipline and righteous living are supported by a peaceful, sattvic setting.
Vāsudeva is describing the beauty of a hermitage-grove: elephants in early rut enhance its grandeur, many joyful birds inhabit the trees, and the forests are thick with blossoms that look like rain-clouds—together creating an exceptional, sacred atmosphere.