Shloka 106
मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity
सिंहव्याप्रप्रयुक्तैस्तु मेघनि:स्वननादितैः
siṁha-vyāghra-prayuktaiḥ tu megha-niḥsvana-nāditaiḥ | tataḥ paścāt bahu-saṅkhyakā rathāḥ sānandaṁ vijaya-ghoṣaṁ kurvantaḥ pravartante | teṣu suvarṇa-mayeṣu nirmaleṣu maṅgala-kāriṣu ratheṣu deva-kanyā āruḍhā bhavanti |
Bhishma berkata: “Di belakang mereka bergerak tidak terbilang banyaknya kereta perang, dipasangkan dengan singa dan harimau, bergema seperti deru dalam awan guruh. Maju dengan sorak kemenangan yang riang, kereta-kereta itu—keemasan, bersih tanpa cela, dan membawa tuah—ditunggangi oleh gadis-gadis kayangan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage underscores the ideal of auspicious, righteous sovereignty: victory and splendor are portrayed as orderly, joyful, and ‘maṅgala’ (beneficial), suggesting that power is most fitting when aligned with auspiciousness and dharmic order rather than mere violence.
Bhishma describes a grand, otherworldly procession: innumerable chariots thunder forward, dramatically yoked with lions and tigers, proclaiming victory; these radiant, golden chariots are occupied by celestial maidens, heightening the scene’s divine and celebratory tone.