Shloka 16
Āśramāgamanam — The Pāṇḍavas Arrive at Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Hermitage
गन्धर्वैरुपगीयन्तः स्तूयमानाश्न वन्दिभि: | दिव्यमाल्याम्बरधरा वृताश्चाप्सरसां गणै:
gandharvair upagīyantaḥ stūyamānāś ca vandibhiḥ | divya-mālyāmbara-dharā vṛtāś cāpsarasāṃ gaṇaiḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: They were being sung about by the Gandharvas and praised by the court-bards. Wearing celestial garlands and heavenly garments, they were surrounded by companies of Apsarases—an image of honor and otherworldly splendor that marks the soul’s passage into a higher, merit-born state.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s moral logic that honor in higher realms is portrayed as the fruit of accumulated merit and dharmic life; celestial praise symbolizes recognition of virtue beyond worldly power.
A scene of celestial reception is described: Gandharvas sing, bards praise, and Apsarases surround the honored figures, who appear adorned with divine garlands and garments—signaling their elevated, otherworldly status.