Shloka 14
Adhyāya 57: Tapas–Dāna Phala
On the Fruits of Austerity and Giving
कान्ताभिरपरांस्तत्र परिष्वक्तान् ददर्श ह | न ददर्श च तान् भूयो ददर्श च पुनर्नुप:
kāntābhir aparāṁs tatra pariṣvaktān dadarśa ha | na dadarśa ca tān bhūyo dadarśa ca punar nṛpaḥ |
Bhishma dit : «Là, le roi vit d’autres êtres enlacés par leurs bien-aimées. Puis, de nouveau, il ne put les voir ; et ensuite, une fois encore, il les vit. Ainsi, dans ce merveilleux domaine des plaisirs célestes, la perception elle-même vacillait—signe que la jouissance et l’attachement sont instables, et que ce que l’on recherche par les sens ne se possède jamais avec certitude.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when pleasure and companionship appear attainable, they are unstable and intermittently perceived; this underscores the unreliability of sense-based fulfillment and encourages restraint and detachment aligned with dharma.
Bhishma describes a king witnessing beings absorbed in embraces with their beloveds, but the vision flickers—sometimes visible, sometimes not—suggesting a wondrous or illusory realm where perception and enjoyment are not steady.