Shloka 11
Ākiṃcanya–Tyāga Upadeśa
The Instruction on Non-ownership and Renunciation
ततो<पश्यत् सुरम्येषु सुवर्णसिकताचिते
tato ’paśyat suramyeṣu suvarṇa-sikatā-citeṣu nara-īśvara
ビーシュマは言った。――そののち、黄金の砂が散り敷かれた、ことのほか麗しいその地において、聖仙ガウタマは巨大で輝かしいバニヤン樹（ニヤグローダ）を見た。四方に円く広がり、地は平らで心地よく、まるで天界の一画のようであった。美しい枝が無数にあるため、その樹は大いなる王者の天蓋（かさ）のごとく見えた。さらに根は、白檀を混ぜた水で潤され養われており、その場を満たす聖なる静けさと吉祥の気配をいっそう深めていた。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage frames a sacred, orderly landscape—golden sand, a canopy-like banyan, sandalwood-scented water—as an external sign of inner dharmic harmony. Such imagery commonly signals a setting fit for tapas, instruction, or a morally significant encounter, emphasizing purity, auspiciousness, and calm as supports for ethical discernment.
Bhishma narrates that Gautama, moving through delightful regions, comes upon an extraordinary banyan tree spreading like a royal parasol. The place is described as level, pleasant, and heaven-like, with the tree’s roots watered by sandalwood-mixed water—preparing the scene for whatever meeting or teaching follows.