अध्याय ५६ — च्यवन–कुशिकसंवादः
Cyavana–Kuśika Dialogue on Lineage, Conflict, and Transmission
इमां च देवीं पश्यामि वपुषाप्सरसोपमाम् | श्रिया परमया युक्तां यथा दृष्टा पुरा मया
imāṃ ca devīṃ paśyāmi vapuṣāpsarasopamām | śriyā paramayā yuktāṃ yathā dṛṣṭā purā mayā ||
“اور میں اس معزز خاتون کو—جس کا روپ اپسرا کے مانند دلکش ہے—اعلیٰ ترین تابانی اور شری (سعادت و جمال) سے آراستہ دیکھ رہا ہوں؛ جیسی وہ مجھے پہلے دکھائی دیتی تھیں، ویسی ہی پھر ہو گئی ہیں۔”
भीष्म उवाच
The verse highlights recognition of auspicious qualities (śrī, radiance, grace) as signs of inner merit and restored dignity; it frames beauty not merely as sensuality but as a marker of well-being, fortune, and rightful order in a dharmic setting.
Bhishma speaks while observing a revered woman (addressed as devī), noting that her appearance has become radiant and apsaras-like, matching how he had seen her in the past—suggesting a return to her former splendor or a transformation back to an earlier state.