Shloka 35
Adhyāya 6: Pañca-mahābhūta–guṇa-nirdeśa and Sudarśana-dvīpa
Five Elements, Sensory Qualities, and a Cosmographic Island
संवृतो5प्सरसां सड्घैमोंदते गुह्यकाधिप: । वहाँ तपाये हुए सुवर्णके समान गौर कान्तिवाले मनुष्य उत्पन्न होते हैं। गन्धमादन पर्वतके शिखरोंपर गुह्मकोंके स्वामी कुबेर राक्षसोंके साथ रहते और अप्सराओं-के समुदायोंके साथ आमोद-प्रमोद करते हैं ।।
sañjaya uvāca | saṃvṛto 'psarasāṃ saṅghair modate guhyakādhipaḥ | gandhamādana-pādēṣu pareṣv aparagaṇḍikāḥ |
Sañjaya berkata: Dikelilingi rombongan Apsara, Kubera—penguasa para Guhyaka—bersuka ria dalam kegembiraan. Di lereng-lereng tinggi dan puncak Gunung Gandhamādana, terdapat pula makhluk-makhluk lain yang menakjubkan. Petikan ini membayangkan alam surgawi yang penuh nikmat dan kelimpahan, namun secara tersirat mengingatkan bahawa kenikmatan itu masih berada dalam saṃsāra, bukan tujuan terakhir yang dijunjung oleh dharma.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the splendor of celestial enjoyment (Kubera with Apsarases) while implicitly situating it within the broader Mahābhārata ethic: even exalted pleasures are not ultimate; dharma and liberation-oriented values stand above mere delight.
Sañjaya describes a wondrous region associated with Mount Gandhamādana where Kubera, lord of the Guhyakas, dwells and revels amid hosts of Apsarases—part of a larger descriptive passage about extraordinary places and beings.