Shloka 29
कपोती-विलापः स्वर्गसंयोगश्च
The Dove’s Lament and Celestial Reunion
अथाभवत् क्षणेनैव वियद् विमलतारकम् | महत्सर इवोत्फुल्लं॑ कुमुदच्छुरितोदकम्
athābhavat kṣaṇenaiva viyad vimalatārakam | mahatsara ivotphullaṁ kumudacchuritodakam ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Puis, en un seul instant, le ciel s’éclaircit et se constella d’étoiles pures et brillantes—comme si un vaste lac se révélait soudain, ses eaux lumineuses et belles, parées de nénuphars blancs (kumuda) en pleine floraison.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses an auspicious natural image—clouds clearing and stars appearing—to suggest the restoration of clarity and calm after disturbance, aligning with the Shanti Parva’s ethical emphasis on peace, steadiness of mind, and the return of order (dharma) after turmoil.
Bhishma describes a sudden change in the atmosphere: the sky clears at once and becomes star-filled, compared to a great lake whose waters shine with blossomed kumuda-lotuses—an evocative sign of serenity and auspiciousness in the surrounding scene.