Shloka 5
Adhyāya 118: Saciva-parīkṣā
Testing and Appointment of Ministers/Servants
ततः: कमलषण्डानि शललकीगहनानि च । व्यचरत् स मुदायुक्तः पद्मरेणुविभूषित:,तदनन्तर वह हाथी कमलोंके परागसे विभूषित और आनन्दित हो कमलसमूहों तथा शल्लकी लताकी झाड़ियोंमें विचरने लगा
tataḥ kamalaṣaṇḍāni śalalakīgahanāni ca | vyacarat sa mudāyuktaḥ padmareṇuvibhūṣitaḥ ||
Sesudah itu gajah itu, berhias serbuk sari teratai dan dipenuhi kegembiraan, berkeliaran di antara rumpun-rumpun teratai serta menembus rimbunan sulur śalalakī.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Through a tranquil natural image—an elephant joyfully roaming among lotuses—the passage suggests the value of serenity and harmony with one’s proper environment, implicitly contrasting peaceful contentment with agitated, desire-driven wandering.
Bhishma describes an elephant that, dusted with lotus pollen, happily moves about amid lotus clusters and dense creeper thickets, painting a vivid scene of carefree roaming in a lotus-filled landscape.