Shloka 4

Uttarā-vilāpaḥ and Kṛṣṇasya satya-vacanenābhi-mañyu-jasyābhijīvanam

Uttarā’s Lament and the Revival of Abhimanyu’s Son by Krishna’s Truth-Act

Devanagari script

अपां कुम्भै: सुपूर्णश्न विन्यस्तै: सर्वतोदिशम्‌ । घृतेन तिन्दुकालातै: सर्षपैश्न महाभुज

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca | apāṃ kumbhaiḥ supūrṇaiḥ vinystaiḥ sarvato diśam | ghṛtena tindukakāṣṭhaiḥ sarsapaiś ca mahābhuja ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Por todas partes se habían colocado vasijas de agua llenas hasta el borde. Ardían trozos de madera de tinduka, empapados en ghee, y semillas de mostaza estaban esparcidas aquí y allá».

Word by Word

• अपाम्: of waters (water-filled)
• अपाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• कुम्भैः: with pots/jars
• कुम्भैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सुपूर्णैः: completely filled
• सुपूर्णैः: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुपूर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• विन्यस्तैः: placed/arranged
• विन्यस्तैः: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-नि-स्था (विन्यस्त)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सर्वतः: on all sides
• सर्वतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः

• दिशम्: direction (around)
• दिशम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• घृतेन: with ghee
• घृतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• तिन्दुक: tinduka (a kind of wood/tree)
• तिन्दुक: Visheshana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिन्दुक
• Form: Masculine, Stem (in compound), —

• आलातैः: with firebrands/torches
• आलातैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आलात
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• सर्षपैः: with mustard seeds
• सर्षपैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्षप
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• महाभुज: O great-armed one
• महाभुज: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभुज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• महाबाहो: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• water pots (kumbha)
• ghee (ghṛta)
• tinduka wood (tinduka-kāṣṭha)
• mustard seeds (sarsapa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma expressed as disciplined ritual order: purity (water), sanctification (ghee-fed fire), and protective auspicious measures (scattered mustard). Ethical action in the epic often appears as careful adherence to prescribed, community-stabilizing rites rather than impulsive conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

A ceremonial space is being prepared: full water-jars are arranged in all directions, ghee-soaked tinduka wood is burning as fuel, and mustard seeds are scattered around—typical markers of a formal rite or yajña-related observance.