Shloka 61
Adhyāya 152 — Bhīṣma’s Authorization for Yudhiṣṭhira’s Return to the Capital (नगरप्रवेशानुज्ञा)
ततो ययुर्भूतगणा: सरितश्न॒ यथागतम् | गन्धर्वाप्सरसश्वैव प्रणम्य शिरसा भवम्
tato yayur bhūta-gaṇāḥ saritaś ca yathāgatam | gandharvāpsarasaś caiva praṇamya śirasā bhavam ||
Alors les cohortes d’esprits, et les rivières aussi, s’en allèrent, chacun retournant comme il était venu. Les Gandharvas et les Apsaras de même : après s’être inclinés devant Bhava (Śiva), ils regagnèrent leurs demeures respectives.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights proper reverence and orderly conduct in a sacred setting: divine beings depart only after paying homage to Śiva, reflecting dharmic etiquette—honor to the divine and disciplined closure after instruction.
After Pārvatī’s discourse on strī-dharma (women’s duties/ethics) and Śiva’s honoring of her, Śiva dismisses the gathered retinue; the bhūta-gaṇas, rivers, Gandharvas, and Apsarases bow to him and return to their own abodes.