Shloka 10
अलम्बुस-वधः
The Neutralization of Alambusa
उत्सादित: कषायेण बलवडद्धिः सुशिक्षितै: । आप्लुत: साधिवासेन जलेन स सुगन्धिना,सबसे पहले बलवान् तथा सुशिक्षित पुरुषोंने सर्वोषधि आदिद्वारा तैयार किये हुए उबटनसे उनके शरीरको अच्छी तरह मला, फिर उन्होंने अधिवासित एवं सुगन्धित जलसे स्नान किया
sañjaya uvāca | utsāditaḥ kaṣāyeṇa balavadbhiḥ suśikṣitaiḥ | āplutaḥ sādhivāsena jalena sa sugandhinā |
Sañjaya said: Strong and well-trained attendants first rubbed him thoroughly with a medicinal decoction and cleansing paste prepared from herbs. Then they bathed him with water steeped in fragrant substances and perfumed—an act of careful purification and dignified preparation amid the harshness of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a violent wartime setting, the epic preserves ideals of dignity, cleanliness, and proper preparation. The careful bathing and anointing reflect a cultural ethic: maintaining order, self-respect, and ritual propriety as a form of inner discipline amid chaos.
Sañjaya describes a person being prepared by attendants: first rubbed with a medicinal herbal preparation (kaṣāya/ubtan-like cleansing), then bathed with water infused with fragrant substances. It is a scene of grooming/purification, likely preceding a significant action or public appearance within the war narrative.