Shloka 5
अस्त्रैश्व विमलैन्यस्तै: पावकैश्व समन््ततः । वृद्धाभिश्चापि रामाभि: परिचारार्थमावृतम्
astraiś ca vimalair nyastaiḥ pāvakaiś ca samantataḥ | vṛddhābhiś cāpi rāmābhiḥ paricārārtham āvṛtam ||
Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: “Napapaligiran ito sa lahat ng panig ng mga sandatang malinis at walang dungis na nakahanay, at ng mga apoy na nagliliyab sa paligid; at napapaloob din ito sa mga iginagalang na matatandang babae, na nakatalaga roon upang maglingkod at mag-asikaso.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic order in a royal-ritual setting: protection and purity are maintained externally (weapons and encircling fire) while the inner space is upheld through disciplined, respectful service (paricaryā) by elders—suggesting that power must be tempered by ritual restraint and social propriety.
The narrator describes a space or enclosure that has been carefully arranged: clean weapons are set in position, fires surround it on all sides, and elderly women stand around to attend and serve—indicating a guarded, ceremonial environment within the Ashvamedhika Parva’s ritual context.