Shloka 73

Devanagari script

पद्मोत्पलविमिश्राणां हृदानामिव शीतल: । गन्धो5स्य स कदम्बानां तुल्यो वै तपतां वर,तपनेवालोंमें श्रेष्ठ अग्निदिव! कमल और उत्पलसे संयुक्त सरोवरोंके समान उसका अंग शीतल है और कदम्ब-पुष्पोंके समान उससे मीठी-मीठी सुगन्ध फैलती रहती है

Transliteration

padmotpalavimiśrāṇāṃ hṛdānām iva śītalaḥ | gandho 'sya sa kadambānāṃ tulyo vai tapatāṃ vara ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—“తపస్వులలో శ్రేష్ఠా! పద్మములు, ఉత్పలములు కలిసిన సరస్సుల వలె అతని దేహము శీతలము; కదంబ పుష్పముల వంటి మధుర సుగంధము అతనిలోనుండి వ్యాపించుచున్నది।”

Word by Word

पद्मोत्पलविमिश्राणाम्of (those) mixed with lotuses and blue-lotuses

हृदानाम्of lakes/ponds

इवlike, as if

शीतलःcool

गन्धःfragrance

अस्यof him/of this

सःthat (one), he

कदम्बानाम्of kadamba (flowers/trees)

तुल्यःequal/similar

वैindeed

तपताम्of ascetics (those who practice austerity)

वरO best/excellent one

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

padma (lotus)

utpala (blue lotus)

hṛda (lakes/pools)

kadamba (flowers)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses sensory imagery—coolness and fragrance—to signal inner purity and spiritual merit: a truly virtuous or spiritually accomplished person is portrayed as naturally soothing and auspicious in presence, benefiting others without force or display.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is describing an exalted person to an addressed ascetic (“best among ascetics”), highlighting extraordinary bodily signs—coolness like lotus-filled lakes and fragrance like kadamba flowers—typical of Mahabharata passages that mark sanctity, tapas, or divine favor.