Shloka 9
Vāg-yuddha and Nimitta-darśana before the Gadāyuddha
Verbal Duel and Omens
तस्मात् समन्तपञ्चकमितो याम द्रुतं नूप । प्रथितोत्तरवेदी सा देवलोके प्रजापते:
sañjaya uvāca | tasmāt samantapañcakam ito yāma drutaṃ nṛpa | prathitottaravedī sā devaloke prajāpateḥ ||
Sabi ni Sañjaya: “Kaya nga, O hari, magmadali tayong umalis dito patungong Samantapañcaka. Ang lupang iyon ay tanyag sa daigdig ng mga diyos bilang ‘uttaravedī’—ang ‘hilagang dambana’ ni Prajāpati. Sa sukdulang banal at walang hanggang sagradong pook ng tatlong daigdig na iyon, ang taong mamatay sa labanan ay tiyak na nakatakdang mapasa-langit.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links sacred place (tīrtha) and righteous warrior-death: dying in battle at a supremely holy field is portrayed as yielding assured heavenly attainment, reflecting the epic’s kṣatriya ideal and the belief in place-based merit.
Sañjaya addresses the king and urges swift movement to the sacred region called Samantapañcaka, identifying it with Prajāpati’s famed ‘northern altar’ in devaloka and emphasizing its extraordinary sanctity and salvific promise for those who fall there in battle.