Shloka 23
अभिमन्युविलापः (Abhimanyu-vilāpa) — Uttarā’s lament, observed and framed by Gandhārī
तव शस्त्रजिताल्लोकान् धर्मेण च दमेन च । क्षिप्रमन््वागमिष्यामि तत्र मां प्रतिपालय,“आर्यपुत्र! आपके शस्त्रोंद्वारा जीते हुए पुण्यलोकोंमें मैं भी धर्म और इन्द्रिय-संयमके बलसे शीघ्र ही आऊँगी। आप वहाँ मेरी राह देखिये
tava śastrajitāllokān dharmeṇa ca damena ca | kṣipram anvāgamiṣyāmi tatra māṃ pratipālaya ||
“To the blessed worlds you have won by your weapons, I too shall soon follow—by the power of dharma and by self-restraint. There, wait for me and keep watch for my coming.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in the shadow of war, the verse contrasts two paths to posthumous attainment: realms ‘won by weapons’ versus the inner strength of dharma and self-restraint. It affirms that moral discipline (dharma, dama) is a legitimate and powerful means to reach the same higher end, emphasizing ethical agency beyond martial success.
A woman (implicitly addressing her ‘āryaputra’, noble husband) declares that she will soon follow him to the worlds he has attained through martial victory, and asks him to wait for her there. The line conveys steadfast attachment and a resolve to meet again, grounding that reunion in righteousness and self-control rather than warfare.