Shloka 6
Arjuna meets the Lokapālas, is tested by Indra, and is led to Amarāvatī for astra-śikṣā
Indraloka-gamana
'पाण्डुनन्दन! पर्वतों, वनान्त प्रदेशों और काननोंसे सुशोभित इस पूर्व दिशाकी रक्षा इन्द्र और कुबेर करते हैं ।।
vaiśampāyana uvāca | pāṇḍunandana! parvatavanānta-pradeśaiḥ kānanaiś ca suśobhitāyāḥ asyāḥ pūrvadiśaḥ rakṣāṃ indraḥ kuberaś ca kurutaḥ || etad āhuḥ mahendrasya rājño vaiśravaṇasya ca | ṛṣayaḥ sarvadharmajñāḥ saha tāta manīṣiṇaḥ || tāta! sarvadharmajñā manīṣiṇaḥ maharṣayaḥ imāṃ diśaṃ devarāja-indrasya tathā kuberasya nivāsasthānam iti vadanti | asyāṃ diśi uditasya sūryadevasya samastāḥ prajāḥ dharmajñā ṛṣayaḥ siddhā mahātmānaḥ sādhya-devāś ca upāsanāṃ kurvanti ||
Wika ni Vaiśampāyana: “O anak ni Pāṇḍu! Ang silangang dako—na pinapaganda ng mga bundok, mga hanggahang-gubat, at malalalim na kakahuyan—ay binabantayan nina Indra at Kubera. Ganito ang pahayag ng mga rishi na ganap na nakaaalam ng dharma, marurunong at mapanuri: ‘Anak, ang dakong ito’y sinasabing tahanan ni Haring Mahendra (Indra) at ni Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera). Mula rito sumisikat ang Araw, at ang lahat ng nilalang—kasama ang mga rishi na batid ang dharma, ang mga Siddha na ganap na, ang mga dakilang-loob, at ang mga diyos na Sādhya—ay nag-aalay ng pagsamba.’”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a dharmic map of the cosmos: directions are not merely spatial but morally and ritually charged. The East, associated with sunrise, is portrayed as protected by divine kings (Indra and Kubera) and as a locus of worship, implying that righteous order (dharma) is upheld through guardianship, reverence, and alignment with cosmic rhythms.
Vaiśampāyana explains to the Pāṇḍava (addressed as ‘son of Pāṇḍu’) the sanctity of the eastern quarter. He reports the sages’ traditional statement that Indra and Kubera guard it and that beings and exalted classes of sages and gods worship the rising Sun from this direction.