Shloka 22
Bhīṣma’s Admonition; Duryodhana’s Rājasūya Aspiration and the Proposal of a Vaiṣṇava-satra
गणैरप्सरसां चैव त्रिदशानां तथा55त्मजै: । विहारशील: क्रीडार्थ तेन तत् संवृतं सर:
gaṇair apsarasāṃ caiva tridaśānāṃ tathātmajaiḥ | vihāraśīlaḥ krīḍārthaṃ tena tat saṃvṛtaṃ saraḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : Entouré de troupes d’Apsaras et des fils des dieux, il était sans cesse porté au divertissement. Pour le jeu et le plaisir, il fit encercler ce lac de tous côtés, comme pour le réserver aux passe-temps célestes.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how power and privilege can turn shared natural spaces into exclusive arenas of pleasure. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical atmosphere, such enclosure for personal sport subtly contrasts with ideals of restraint and fair access, foreshadowing tensions that arise when desire overrides consideration for others.
Vaiśampāyana describes a figure who, together with Apsarases and divine youths, roams for enjoyment and has a particular lake surrounded on all sides so it becomes a private place for play and recreation.