Shloka 12
Āśramāgamanam — The Pāṇḍavas Arrive at Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Hermitage
अचलो वृषकश्चैव राक्षसश्वाप्पलायुध: । बाह्विक:ः सोमदत्तश्न चेकितानश्न पार्थिव:,कर्ण, दुर्योधन, महारथी शकुनि, धूृतराष्ट्रके पुत्र महाबली दुःशासन आदि, जरासन्धकुमार सहदेव, भगदत्त, पराक्रमी जलसन्ध, भूरिश्रवा, शल, शल्य, भाइयोंसहित वृषसेन, राजकुमार लक्ष्मण, धृष्टद्युम्नके पुत्र, शिखण्डीके सभी पुत्र, भाइयोंसहित धुृष्टकेतु, अचल, वृषक, राक्षस अलायुध, राजा बाह्लिक, सोमदत्त और चेकितान--ये तथा दूसरे बहुत-से क्षत्रियवीर, जो संख्यामें अधिक होनेके कारण नाम लेकर नहीं बताये गये हैं, सभी देदीप्यमान शरीर धारण करके उस जलसे प्रकट हुए
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
acalo vṛṣakaś caiva rākṣasaś cāpy alāyudhaḥ |
bāhlīkaḥ somadattaś ca cekitānaś ca pārthivaḥ |
karṇaḥ duryodhanaḥ śakuniḥ dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putro mahābalī duḥśāsanaś ca |
jarāsandha-kumāraḥ sahadevaḥ bhagadattaḥ parākramaḥ jala-sandhaḥ |
bhūriśravāḥ śalaḥ śalyaḥ bhrātṛbhiḥ saha vṛṣasenaḥ |
rājakumāro lakṣmaṇaḥ dhṛṣṭadyumna-putrāḥ śikhaṇḍinaḥ sarva-putrāḥ |
bhrātṛbhiḥ saha dhṛṣṭaketuḥ |
ete ca anye bahavaḥ kṣatriya-vīrāḥ saṅkhyā-bahutvān nāmato ’nukīrtitāḥ |
sarve dīpyamāna-śarīrāḥ tasmin jalāt prādurabhavan ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: Acala e Vṛṣaka; o rākṣasa Alāyudha; o rei Bāhlīka; Somadatta; e Cekitāna; Karṇa, Duryodhana, Śakuni e o poderoso Duḥśāsana, filho de Dhṛtarāṣṭra; Sahadeva, filho de Jarāsandha; Bhagadatta; o valente Jalasaṃdha; Bhūriśravas, Śala, Śalya e Vṛṣasena com seus irmãos; o príncipe Lakṣmaṇa; os filhos de Dhṛṣṭadyumna; todos os filhos de Śikhaṇḍin; e Dhṛṣṭaketu com seus irmãos—estes e muitos outros kṣatriyas heroicos, numerosos demais para serem nomeados um a um, surgiram todos daquela água, portando corpos radiantes.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the epic’s moral complexity: warriors from opposing sides—many associated with grave wrongdoing—are nevertheless shown reappearing with radiant bodies. This suggests that posthumous states are not a simple ledger of partisan victory or defeat, but unfold through karma, destiny, and the larger cosmic order that can transmute even violent life-stories into a different condition after death.
Vaiśampāyana lists numerous well-known kṣatriya heroes (and some rākṣasas) who, along with many unnamed warriors, manifest from the water with shining bodies. The scene functions as a mass reappearance/vision of the fallen, emphasizing their continued existence in another mode and setting the tone of closure and reflection characteristic of the Āśramavāsika section.