Shloka 72

मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity

Devanagari script

एकस्तम्भं चतुर्द्धारं सप्तभौमं सुमंगलम्‌ । वैजयन्तीसहसैश्न शोभितं गीतनि:स्वनै:

Transliteration

ekastambhaṁ caturdhāraṁ saptabhaumaṁ sumaṅgalam | vaijayantīsahasraiś ca śobhitaṁ gītanisvanaiḥ ||

Translation

بھیشم نے کہا—(میں نے) ایک ستون پر قائم، چار دروازوں والا، سات منزلہ، نہایت مبارک و مسعود ایک محل دیکھا؛ وہ ہزاروں وَیجَیَنتی ہاروں سے آراستہ تھا اور گیتوں کی آوازوں سے گونج رہا تھا۔

Word by Word

एक-स्तम्भम्having one pillar / single-pillared

चतुर्द्वारम्four-doored

सप्त-भौमम्seven-storied (seven-floored)

सु-मङ्गलम्very auspicious

वैजयन्ती-सहस्रैःwith thousands of banners/streamers (vaijayantīs)

चand

शोभितम्adorned, beautified

गीत-निःस्वनैःwith sounds of songs / musical sounds

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

ekastambha (single pillar)

caturdhāra (four gates/doors)

saptabhauma (seven storeys)

vaijayantī (garlands)

gīta (song/singing)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights auspicious order and royal/ritual splendor as outward signs of well-established dharma—harmony, prosperity, and disciplined culture expressed through architecture, adornment, and music.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is describing a magnificent, auspicious multi-level structure—marked by distinctive architectural features and festive decoration—filled with the resonant sound of singing, as part of his ongoing account in the Anushasana Parva.