Shloka 5
Uttarā-vilāpaḥ and Kṛṣṇasya satya-vacanenābhi-mañyu-jasyābhijīvanam
Uttarā’s Lament and the Revival of Abhimanyu’s Son by Krishna’s Truth-Act
अस्त्रैश्व विमलैन्यस्तै: पावकैश्व समन््ततः । वृद्धाभिश्चापि रामाभि: परिचारार्थमावृतम्
astraiś ca vimalair nyastaiḥ pāvakaiś ca samantataḥ | vṛddhābhiś cāpi rāmābhiḥ paricārārtham āvṛtam ||
毗湿摩波耶那说：“它四面被洁净无瑕、陈设就位的兵器所环绕，又有烈火在周遭燃起；并且还有德高年长的妇人们为侍奉与照料而守在其旁，将其围护。”
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.