Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 75

Kārttikeya-Abhiṣecana: Mātṛgaṇa-Nāma Saṃkīrtana and Skanda’s Commission

Devanagari script

लोहाजवक्त्रो जवन: कुम्भवकत्रश्न कुम्भक: | स्वर्णग्रीवश्च॒ कृष्णौजा हंसवक्त्रश्न चन्द्रभ:

Transliteration

Lohājavaktraḥ Javaṇaḥ Kumbhavaktraś ca Kumbhakaḥ | Svarṇagrīvaś ca Kṛṣṇaujā Haṃsavaktraś ca Candrabhaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “(Among them were) Lohājavaktra, Javaṇa, Kumbhavaktra, Kumbhaka, Svarṇagrīva, Kṛṣṇaujā, Haṃsavaktra, and Candrabha.”

Word by Word

• लोहाजवक्त्रः: one whose face/mouth is like iron
• लोहाजवक्त्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोहाज-वक्त्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जवनः: Javana (a proper name)
• जवनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जवन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कुम्भवक्त्रः: one whose face is like a pot (kumbha-faced)
• कुम्भवक्त्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ-वक्त्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• कुम्भकः: Kumbhaka (a proper name)
• कुम्भकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वर्णग्रीवः: one with a golden neck
• स्वर्णग्रीवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ण-ग्रीव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• कृष्णौजाः: one of dark/black vigor (dark-energy)
• कृष्णौजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण-ओजस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हंसवक्त्रः: one whose face is like a swan
• हंसवक्त्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हंस-वक्त्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• चन्द्रभाः: one having moon-like radiance
• चन्द्रभाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र-भा
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Lohājavaktra
• Javaṇa
• Kumbhavaktra
• Kumbhaka
• Svarṇagrīva
• Kṛṣṇaujā
• Haṃsavaktra
• Candrabha

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse itself is not a direct moral injunction; its ethical force is indirect: by enumerating many named warriors with distinctive epithets, it highlights the vast human participation in war and invites reflection on the weight of collective responsibility and the far-reaching consequences of adharma-driven conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, as narrator, lists a set of warriors (or notable persons in the war context) by name/epithet. This kind of catalogue passage situates the listener within the scale of the battle and records who was present among the combatants.