Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 16
Kārttikeya-Abhiṣecana: Mātṛgaṇa-Nāma Saṃkīrtana and Skanda’s Commission
उच्चै:श्रवा हयश्रेष्ठो नागराजश्न वासुकि: । अरुणो गरुडश्जैव वृक्षाश्नौषधिभि: सह
vaiśampāyana uvāca | uccaiḥśravā hayaśreṣṭho nāgarājaś ca vāsukiḥ | aruṇo garuḍaś caiva vṛkṣāś cauṣadhibhiḥ saha | rudrair vasubhir ādityair aśvibhyāṃ ca vṛtaḥ prabhuḥ |
Vaiśampāyana said: There stood assembled the foremost of horses, Uccaiḥśravā; the serpent-king Vāsuki; Aruṇa; and Garuḍa; along with trees together with medicinal herbs. The mighty Lord—surrounded by the Rudras, the Vasus, the Ādityas, and the two Aśvins—was encircled by these divine powers. The scene conveys a cosmic gathering: all orders of beings, from gods to nature-spirits, converge to honor and attend the supreme commander, underscoring that righteous authority and divine purpose draw the whole world into alignment.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes cosmic concord: when rightful power and purpose are present, all classes of beings—gods, celestial creatures, and even nature (trees and herbs)—align in attendance. Ethically, it suggests that dharmic authority attracts support and harmonizes the world’s forces.
A grand, ceremonial gathering is being described. Celestial beings and divine groups (Rudras, Vasus, Ādityas, Aśvins), along with famed mythic figures (Uccaiḥśravā, Vāsuki, Aruṇa, Garuḍa) and elements of nature, stand surrounding a ‘prabhu’ (lord), marking a moment of heightened, cosmic significance within the war-epic’s events.
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