Shloka 363
शल्यस्य सेनापत्याभ्युपगमः | Śalya’s Acceptance of Command
शस्त्रावभूथपूतानां ध्रुवं वासस्त्रिविष्टपे “जिनके आचरण श्रेष्ठ हैं, जो युद्धसे कभी पीछे नहीं हटते, अपनी प्रतिज्ञाको सत्य कर दिखाते और यज्ञोंद्वारा यजन करनेवाले हैं तथा जिन्होंने शस्त्रकी धारामें अवभूथस्नान किया है, उन समस्त बुद्धिमान् पुरुषोंका निश्चय ही स्वर्गमें निवास होता है
śastrāvabhūthapūtānāṃ dhruvaṃ vāsaḥ trivīṣṭape
Sañjaya said: Those wise men who are purified by the ‘avabhṛtha’ of weapons—whose conduct is noble, who never turn back from battle, who make their vows come true, and who worship through sacrifices—certainly attain residence in heaven.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links steadfast performance of one’s dharma—especially a warrior’s refusal to retreat, truthfulness to vows, and reverence for yajña—with spiritual ‘purification’ and the assured reward of heaven. It frames righteous battle as a sacrificial act, where the ordeal of weapons functions like an avabhṛtha bath.
Sañjaya, narrating the Kurukṣetra events, offers a reflective statement about the fate of exemplary men in war: those who uphold noble conduct, keep their pledges, and remain committed to sacrificial worship are said to attain svarga, their combat being portrayed as a purifying culmination akin to a ritual bath.