Adhyāya 152 — Bhīṣma’s Authorization for Yudhiṣṭhira’s Return to the Capital (नगरप्रवेशानुज्ञा)
ततो ययुर्भूतगणा: सरितश्न॒ यथागतम् | गन्धर्वाप्सरसश्वैव प्रणम्य शिरसा भवम्
tato yayur bhūta-gaṇāḥ saritaś ca yathāgatam | gandharvāpsarasaś caiva praṇamya śirasā bhavam ||
それから精霊の群れと河川もまた去り—来た時のままにそれぞれ帰っていった。ガンダルヴァとアプサラスも同様に、バヴァ(シヴァ)に頭を垂れて礼拝し、各々の住処へ戻った。
भीष्म उवाच
The verse highlights proper reverence and orderly conduct in a sacred setting: divine beings depart only after paying homage to Śiva, reflecting dharmic etiquette—honor to the divine and disciplined closure after instruction.
After Pārvatī’s discourse on strī-dharma (women’s duties/ethics) and Śiva’s honoring of her, Śiva dismisses the gathered retinue; the bhūta-gaṇas, rivers, Gandharvas, and Apsarases bow to him and return to their own abodes.