Shloka 13
Ākiṃcanya–Tyāga Upadeśa
The Instruction on Non-ownership and Renunciation
शाखाभिरनुरूपाभिरभर्भूयिष्ठं क्षत्रसंनिभम् | तस्य मूलं च संसिक्तं वरचन्दनवारिणा
śākhābhir anurūpābhir abhrabhūyiṣṭhaṃ kṣatrasaṃnibham | tasya mūlaṃ ca saṃsiktaṃ varacandanavāriṇā ||
毗湿摩说道：“它枝条匀称而繁多，望之如高耸的王者华盖，广大如云，宛若刹帝利权威的徽记。其根部又以掺入上等檀香的清水洒润滋养。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses royal imagery (a parasol-like canopy and sandalwood-scented water) to suggest that true sovereignty and dignity are supported by careful nurturing at the ‘root’—i.e., by disciplined foundations, purity, and right conduct rather than mere outward display.
Bhishma describes a magnificent tree whose harmonious branches spread like a grand royal canopy, while its base is ritually and fragrantly watered with sandalwood-infused water—an evocative detail that marks the setting as refined, auspicious, and symbolically connected with kingship and virtue.