Shloka 15
Adhyāya 57: Tapas–Dāna Phala
On the Fruits of Austerity and Giving
गीतध्वनिं सुमधुरं तथैवाध्यापनध्वनिम् । हंसान् सुमधुरांश्चापि तत्र शुश्राव पार्थिव:
gītadhvaniṃ sumadhuraṃ tathaivādhyāpanadhvanim | haṃsān sumadhurāṃś cāpi tatra śuśrāva pārthivaḥ ||
Bhishma disse: “Ali o rei ouviu, ora, o som exquisitamente doce do canto; ora, a ressonância solene da recitação védica; e, de novo, os agradáveis chamados dos cisnes. A cena evoca um reino ordenado pelo dharma — onde o deleite refinado, o estudo disciplinado e a harmonia da natureza coexistem sem excesso.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A dharmic realm is marked by balanced cultivation: refined arts (music), disciplined sacred learning (Vedic recitation), and a peaceful natural environment. The verse suggests that ethical governance supports both culture and spiritual practice, producing harmony rather than noise or disorder.
Bhishma describes what the king hears in that place—alternating sounds of melodious singing, the grave cadence of Vedic study, and the sweet calls of swans—painting an atmosphere of serenity, learning, and well-ordered royal life.