Shloka 29
मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity
शातकुम्भसमायुक्त साधयेद् यानमुत्तमम् | तथैवाप्सरसामड्के प्रतिसुप्त: प्रबोध्यते
śātakumbha-samāyuktaṃ sādhayed yānam uttamam | tathaivāpsarasām aṅke pratissuptaḥ prabodhyate ||
بھیشم نے کہا—شاتکُمبھ (خالص سونا) سے آراستہ ایک بہترین سواری تیار کرنی چاہیے؛ اور جیسے اپسراؤں کی گود میں گہری نیند میں پڑا ہوا شخص جگا دیا جاتا ہے، ویسے ہی وہ (لذتوں کی نیند میں ڈوبا ہوا) بیدار کیا جاتا ہے۔
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
External excellence (like a gold-adorned vehicle) is easy to pursue, but the deeper ethical point is about awakening from complacency: one must be roused from the ‘sleep’ of indulgence in pleasure (symbolized by the apsaras’ lap) into alertness, restraint, and dharmic awareness.
Bhīṣma continues his instruction by using a vivid comparison: just as one can arrange a splendid conveyance decorated with pure gold, so too a person sunk in luxurious, pleasure-filled comfort can be awakened—implying the need for counsel, discipline, or insight to break the spell of sensual distraction.