Shloka 22
Svargārohaṇa-parva, Adhyāya 4 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Vision of the Celestial Assembly
Recognition and Explanation
एते चान्ये महीपाला योधास्तव च पाण्डव । गन्धर्वसहिता यान्ति यक्षपुण्यजनैस्तथा,'पाण्डुनन्दन! ये तुम्हारे पक्षके दूसरे भूपाल योद्धा गन्धर्वों, यक्षों तथा पुण्यजनोंके साथ जा रहे हैं
ete cānye mahīpālā yodhās tava ca pāṇḍava | gandharvasahitā yānti yakṣapuṇyajanaistathā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “And these other kings and warriors of your side as well, O Pāṇḍava, are proceeding onward in the company of the Gandharvas, and likewise with the Yakṣas and the Puṇyajanas.” The verse underscores that the fallen or departed allies are being gathered into ordered celestial communities, suggesting a moral recompense and a divinely governed transition rather than mere annihilation in war.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents the post-war transition as governed by dharma and cosmic order: warriors and kings are received into structured celestial hosts (Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Puṇyajanas), implying that deeds and rightful conduct lead to an appropriate, divinely arranged destination.
Vaiśampāyana describes to the Pāṇḍava (Yudhiṣṭhira) that other allied kings and fighters are moving onward, accompanied by celestial beings—indicating their passage toward heavenly realms in the concluding movement of the epic.