Shloka 25
Phala of Vrata, Niyama, Svādhyāya, Dama, Satya, Brahmacarya, and Service (व्रत-नियम-स्वाध्याय-दम-सत्य-ब्रह्मचर्य-शुश्रूषा-फलप्रश्नः)
भक्ष्यभोज्यमयान् शैलान् वासांसि शयनानि च । सर्वकामफलांश्वैव वृक्षान् भवनसंस्थितान्
bhakṣyabhojyamayān śailān vāsāṃsi śayanāni ca | sarvakāmaphalāṃś caiva vṛkṣān bhavanasaṃsthitān ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Dans ces demeures se dressaient des monceaux de nourritures et de mets délicats, pareils à des montagnes ; il y avait aussi des piles de vêtements et de lits. Et, dans l’enceinte de ces habitations, prospéraient de nombreux arbres qui accordaient tout fruit selon le désir.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses vivid imagery of abundance—heaps of food, garments, beds, and wish-fulfilling trees—to portray extraordinary prosperity. In Bhishma’s ethical frame, such prosperity is meaningful when understood as the fruit of merit and when directed toward dharmic ends such as generosity, hospitality, and righteous living rather than mere indulgence.
Bhishma is describing opulent dwellings: inside them are immense stores of edible and prepared foods, along with piles of clothing and bedding, and within their boundaries stand many fruit-bearing trees that provide whatever is desired. The description functions as a narrative picture of lavish, almost celestial-style abundance.