Shloka 18
कार्त्तिकेयाभिषेकः — Consecration of Kārttikeya and the Enumeration of His Retinue
स तस्मिन् काउ्चने दिव्ये शरस्तम्बे श्रिया वृत: । स्तूयमान: सदा शेते गन्धर्वैर्मुनिभिस्तथा
sa tasmin kāñcane divye śarastambe śriyā vṛtaḥ | stūyamānaḥ sadā śete gandharvair munibhis tathā ||
Allí, sobre aquel lecho divino de flechas, resplandeciente y dorado, ceñido de esplendor, yace siempre; y es alabado sin cesar por los Gandharvas y por los sabios. La escena transfigura el fin del guerrero en un cuadro moral: la firmeza en el deber elegido y la reverencia otorgada a una vida de disciplina y verdad, aun en medio de la ruina de la guerra.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in the aftermath of violence, moral stature is measured by steadfastness, discipline, and truth; such integrity draws reverence from the wise and the celestial, suggesting that dharma can confer dignity even upon suffering.
The narrator describes a revered figure lying upon a divine, golden bed of arrows, surrounded by splendor, while Gandharvas and sages continually praise him—portraying a solemn, exalted moment amid the war’s consequences.