Shloka 12
Āśramāgamanam — The Pāṇḍavas Arrive at Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Hermitage
अचलो वृषकश्चैव राक्षसश्वाप्पलायुध: । बाह्विक:ः सोमदत्तश्न चेकितानश्न पार्थिव:,कर्ण, दुर्योधन, महारथी शकुनि, धूृतराष्ट्रके पुत्र महाबली दुःशासन आदि, जरासन्धकुमार सहदेव, भगदत्त, पराक्रमी जलसन्ध, भूरिश्रवा, शल, शल्य, भाइयोंसहित वृषसेन, राजकुमार लक्ष्मण, धृष्टद्युम्नके पुत्र, शिखण्डीके सभी पुत्र, भाइयोंसहित धुृष्टकेतु, अचल, वृषक, राक्षस अलायुध, राजा बाह्लिक, सोमदत्त और चेकितान--ये तथा दूसरे बहुत-से क्षत्रियवीर, जो संख्यामें अधिक होनेके कारण नाम लेकर नहीं बताये गये हैं, सभी देदीप्यमान शरीर धारण करके उस जलसे प्रकट हुए
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
acalo vṛṣakaś caiva rākṣasaś cāpy alāyudhaḥ |
bāhlīkaḥ somadattaś ca cekitānaś ca pārthivaḥ |
karṇaḥ duryodhanaḥ śakuniḥ dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putro mahābalī duḥśāsanaś ca |
jarāsandha-kumāraḥ sahadevaḥ bhagadattaḥ parākramaḥ jala-sandhaḥ |
bhūriśravāḥ śalaḥ śalyaḥ bhrātṛbhiḥ saha vṛṣasenaḥ |
rājakumāro lakṣmaṇaḥ dhṛṣṭadyumna-putrāḥ śikhaṇḍinaḥ sarva-putrāḥ |
bhrātṛbhiḥ saha dhṛṣṭaketuḥ |
ete ca anye bahavaḥ kṣatriya-vīrāḥ saṅkhyā-bahutvān nāmato ’nukīrtitāḥ |
sarve dīpyamāna-śarīrāḥ tasmin jalāt prādurabhavan ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Acala und Vṛṣaka; der Rākṣasa Alāyudha; König Bāhlīka; Somadatta; und Cekitāna; Karṇa, Duryodhana, Śakuni und der mächtige Duḥśāsana, Sohn Dhṛtarāṣṭras; Sahadeva, Jarāsandhas Sohn; Bhagadatta; der tapfere Jalasaṃdha; Bhūriśravas, Śala, Śalya und Vṛṣasena mit seinen Brüdern; Prinz Lakṣmaṇa; die Söhne Dhṛṣṭadyumnas; alle Söhne Śikhaṇḍins; und Dhṛṣṭaketu mit seinen Brüdern — diese und viele andere heldenhafte Kṣatriyas, zu zahlreich, um sie einzeln zu nennen, erschienen alle aus jenem Wasser, mit leuchtenden Körpern.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the epic’s moral complexity: warriors from opposing sides—many associated with grave wrongdoing—are nevertheless shown reappearing with radiant bodies. This suggests that posthumous states are not a simple ledger of partisan victory or defeat, but unfold through karma, destiny, and the larger cosmic order that can transmute even violent life-stories into a different condition after death.
Vaiśampāyana lists numerous well-known kṣatriya heroes (and some rākṣasas) who, along with many unnamed warriors, manifest from the water with shining bodies. The scene functions as a mass reappearance/vision of the fallen, emphasizing their continued existence in another mode and setting the tone of closure and reflection characteristic of the Āśramavāsika section.