Adhyāya 57: Tapas–Dāna Phala
On the Fruits of Austerity and Giving
कान्ताभिरपरांस्तत्र परिष्वक्तान् ददर्श ह | न ददर्श च तान् भूयो ददर्श च पुनर्नुप:
kāntābhir aparāṁs tatra pariṣvaktān dadarśa ha | na dadarśa ca tān bhūyo dadarśa ca punar nṛpaḥ |
وہاں بادشاہ نے دوسروں کو بھی اپنی محبوباؤں کے آغوش میں جکڑا ہوا دیکھا۔ پھر وہ انہیں نہ دیکھ سکا؛ اور پھر ایک بار دوبارہ دیکھ لیا۔
भीष्म उवाच
Even when pleasure and companionship appear attainable, they are unstable and intermittently perceived; this underscores the unreliability of sense-based fulfillment and encourages restraint and detachment aligned with dharma.
Bhishma describes a king witnessing beings absorbed in embraces with their beloveds, but the vision flickers—sometimes visible, sometimes not—suggesting a wondrous or illusory realm where perception and enjoyment are not steady.