Shloka 19
Asita Devala Observes Jaigīṣavya’s Yogic Attainment and Chooses Mokṣa-dharma (देवल-जैगीषव्योपाख्यानम्)
तस्या नद्यास्तु तीरे वै सर्वे देवा: सवासवा: । विश्वेदेवाः समरुतो गन्धर्वाप्सरसश्ष ह
tasyā nadyāstu tīre vai sarve devāḥ savāsavāḥ | viśvedevāḥ samaruto gandharvāpsarasaś ca ha ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Di tebing sungai itu, sesungguhnya semua dewa—bersama Indra—hadir; para Viśvedevas, pasukan Marut, serta juga Gandharva dan Apsara.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the idea of divine and cosmic witnessing: major actions in the epic—especially in the context of war—are not merely human affairs but occur under the gaze of the gods, implying accountability to dharma and the larger moral order.
The narrator describes a riverbank where numerous divine beings assemble—Indra with the gods, the Viśvedevas, Maruts, Gandharvas, and Apsarases—setting a solemn, cosmic backdrop to the events being recounted in this section of the Śalya Parva.