Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 59
Kārttikeya-Abhiṣecana: Mātṛgaṇa-Nāma Saṃkīrtana and Skanda’s Commission
सहख्बाहुर्विकटो व्याप्राक्ष: क्षितिकम्पन: । पुण्यनामा सुनामा च सुचक्र: प्रियदर्शन:
sahakṣabāhur vikaṭo vyāprākṣaḥ kṣitikampanaḥ | puṇyanāmā sunāmā ca sucakraḥ priyadarśanaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “There were warriors named Sahakṣabāhu, Vikaṭa, Vyāprākṣa, and Kṣitikampana; also Puṇyanāmā and Sunāmā; and further Sucakra and Priyadarśana.” In the midst of the war narrative, the text records these names to mark the scale of the conflict and the many lives drawn into it, reminding the listener that fame and identity in battle are ultimately reduced to brief remembrance.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse functions as a memorial-style roll call: in a vast war, even powerful figures become brief entries in a list. It subtly underscores the Mahābhārata’s ethical horizon—glory in violence is transient, while the consequences of adharma-driven conflict are immense.
Vaiśampāyana enumerates named warriors (likely combatants aligned with one side in the Kurukṣetra war) as part of a larger description of forces and participants during events in Śalya Parva, Adhyāya 45.
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