Shloka 16

Adhyāya 32: Tāpasānāṃ Darśanaṃ — Ascetics Seek to Identify the Pāṇḍavas

Devanagari script

राक्षसानां पिशाचानां केचिच्चाप्युत्तरान्‌ कुरून्‌ । विचित्रगतय: सर्वे यानवाप्यामरै: सह

Transliteration

rākṣasānāṁ piśācānāṁ kecic cāpy uttarān kurūn | vicitragatayaḥ sarve yānavāpy amaraiḥ saha ||

Translation

वैशंपायन म्हणाले—राक्षस आणि पिशाचांपैकी काही उत्तरकुरूंकडे गेले. ते सर्व विचित्र गतीने निघाले; काही तर देवांसहही, आपापली याने प्राप्त करून गेले.

Word by Word

राक्षसानाम्of the Rakshasas

पिशाचानाम्of the Pishachas

केचित्some (persons/beings)

चand

अपिalso/even

उत्तरान्northern

कुरून्the Kurus

विचित्रगतयःhaving varied movements/ways

सर्वेall

यानvehicle/conveyance

अवाप्यhaving obtained

अमरैःwith the immortals (gods)

सहtogether with

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Rākṣasas

Piśācas

Uttara-Kuru (Northern Kurus)

Amaras (Devas)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores that beings attain different courses and destinations—some exalted, some uncanny—reflecting their inherent nature and the moral force of their actions (karma), within a cosmos that includes both divine and non-human orders.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes various non-human beings (rākṣasas and piśācas) departing toward the mythic northern realm of Uttara-Kuru; their movements are described as diverse and extraordinary, with some even traveling in the company of the gods.