Shloka 5
Saptasārasvata-tīrtha-prasaṅgaḥ | The Saptasārasvata Pilgrimage Account and the Maṅkaṇaka Narrative
तत्रादृश्यन्त गन्धर्वास्तथैवाप्सरसां गणा:
tatrādṛśyanta gandharvāstathaivāpsarasāṃ gaṇāḥ
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Di sana kelihatan para Gandharva, dan demikian juga kelompok-kelompok Apsara—tanda kehadiran alam kayangan yang menampakkan diri di tengah peristiwa yang sedang berlangsung, seolah-olah menyatakan bahawa walaupun dunia digoncang perang, alam-alam tinggi tetap memerhati dan campur tangan menurut tertib kosmik (dharma).
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that human conflict unfolds under a wider cosmic gaze: celestial beings appear as markers of a larger moral and metaphysical order (ṛta/dharma) that frames the consequences of war.
The narrator reports a vision at the scene: Gandharvas and companies of Apsarases are seen there, indicating a supernatural or heavenly presence accompanying the events being described in this section of Śalya Parva.