Shloka 5
Uttarā-vilāpaḥ and Kṛṣṇasya satya-vacanenābhi-mañyu-jasyābhijīvanam
Uttarā’s Lament and the Revival of Abhimanyu’s Son by Krishna’s Truth-Act
अस्त्रैश्व विमलैन्यस्तै: पावकैश्व समन््ततः । वृद्धाभिश्चापि रामाभि: परिचारार्थमावृतम्
astraiś ca vimalair nyastaiḥ pāvakaiś ca samantataḥ | vṛddhābhiś cāpi rāmābhiḥ paricārārtham āvṛtam ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: It was surrounded on every side by spotless weapons set in place and by fires blazing around it; and it was also enclosed by venerable women, stationed there for the purpose of attendance and service. The scene conveys a carefully guarded, ritually charged space—protected outwardly by martial and fiery safeguards, and inwardly sustained by orderly, respectful service.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic order in a royal-ritual setting: protection and purity are maintained externally (weapons and encircling fire) while the inner space is upheld through disciplined, respectful service (paricaryā) by elders—suggesting that power must be tempered by ritual restraint and social propriety.
The narrator describes a space or enclosure that has been carefully arranged: clean weapons are set in position, fires surround it on all sides, and elderly women stand around to attend and serve—indicating a guarded, ceremonial environment within the Ashvamedhika Parva’s ritual context.