Shloka 5
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 97: Satyavatī’s appeal and Bhīṣma’s reaffirmation of satya
ततो5भवन् सुरगणा: सहसावाड्मुखास्तदा | महाभिषस्तु राजर्षिरशड्को दृष्टवान् नदीम्,यह देख सब देवताओंने तुरंत अपना मुँह नीचेकी ओर कर लिया; किंतु राजर्षि महाभिष नि:शंक होकर देवनदीकी ओर देखते ही रह गये
tato 'bhavan suragaṇāḥ sahasā vāṅmukhās tadā | mahābhiṣas tu rājarṣir aśaṅko dṛṣṭavān nadīm ||
Then, at that moment, the hosts of gods suddenly turned their faces downward in modest restraint; but the royal sage Mahābhiṣa, free of hesitation, continued to gaze upon the divine river. The scene highlights the ethical contrast between reverent self-control before a sacred presence and the peril of unchecked looking that can transgress celestial decorum.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts reverent restraint with unguarded attention: even in a sacred setting, dharma is upheld through self-control and respect for propriety; failing to restrain the gaze can signal a lapse in decorum and invite consequences.
When the divine river is present, the gods avert their faces downward out of modesty, while the royal sage Mahābhiṣa, unhesitating, keeps looking at the river—an action that marks him out from the others and sets up the ensuing development of the story.