Shloka 14
Adhyāya 57: Tapas–Dāna Phala
On the Fruits of Austerity and Giving
कान्ताभिरपरांस्तत्र परिष्वक्तान् ददर्श ह | न ददर्श च तान् भूयो ददर्श च पुनर्नुप:
kāntābhir aparāṁs tatra pariṣvaktān dadarśa ha | na dadarśa ca tān bhūyo dadarśa ca punar nṛpaḥ |
Bhishma berkata: “Di sana raja melihat yang lain pula dipeluk erat oleh kekasih mereka. Namun sekali lagi baginda tidak dapat melihat mereka; kemudian baginda melihatnya semula. Demikianlah, dalam alam kenikmatan langit yang menakjubkan itu, bahkan persepsi pun berombak—menandakan bahawa kesenangan dan keterikatan itu tidak kekal, dan apa yang dicari melalui nikmat pancaindera tidak dapat digenggam dengan pasti.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when pleasure and companionship appear attainable, they are unstable and intermittently perceived; this underscores the unreliability of sense-based fulfillment and encourages restraint and detachment aligned with dharma.
Bhishma describes a king witnessing beings absorbed in embraces with their beloveds, but the vision flickers—sometimes visible, sometimes not—suggesting a wondrous or illusory realm where perception and enjoyment are not steady.