Shloka 766
युधिष्ठिरस्य धनंजय-प्रति गर्हा
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Reproach to Dhanaṃjaya
आरोप्यारोप्य गच्छन्ति विमानेष्वप्सरोगणा: । वीरोंके द्वारा सम्मुख लड़कर मारे गये लाखों वीरोंको अप्सराएँ विमानोंपर बिठा- बिठाकर स्वर्गलोकमें ले जाती थीं
āropyāropyā gacchanti vimāneṣv apsarogaṇāḥ |
Sañjaya said: The hosts of Apsarases, lifting them up again and again, were carrying the fallen heroes in celestial chariots to heaven—those countless warriors who had been slain face to face in valorous combat. The scene frames death in righteous battle as a passage to higher worlds, honoring courage while underscoring the immense human cost of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse reflects the epic’s view that death met in direct, courageous battle—aligned with kṣatriya duty—can lead to heavenly attainment, while simultaneously highlighting the staggering scale of loss that war entails.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield aftermath where celestial Apsarases arrive with vimānas and carry away the slain heroes to Svarga, portraying their valor as being honored by the divine realm.