Shloka 53

Varuṇābhiṣeka–Agni-anveṣaṇa–Kaubera-tīrtha

Varuṇa’s Consecration; Search for Agni; Kaubera Sacred Site

Devanagari script

सैनापत्यमनुप्राप्य स्कन्दो देवगणस्थ ह

Transliteration

saināpatyam anuprāpya skando devagaṇastha ha

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Nachdem Skanda das Amt des Oberbefehlshabers erlangt hatte, stand er—unter den Scharen der Götter—dort. Die Zeile ruft das Ideal göttlich sanktionierter Führung auf: Befehl ist nicht bloß Macht, sondern eine gewichtige Verantwortung, getragen in der Gegenwart höherer Wesen und geordneter Kräfte.

Word by Word

• सैनापत्यम्: the commandership (office of commander-in-chief)
• सैनापत्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैनापत्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अनुप्राप्य: having attained/obtained
• अनुप्राप्य: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-√प्राप्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund)

• स्कन्दः: Skanda (Kartikeya)
• स्कन्दः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• देवगणस्थः: standing among the hosts of gods
• देवगणस्थः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवगणस्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ह: indeed/forsooth (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Skanda (Kārttikeya)
• Devagaṇas (hosts of gods)
• Saināpatya (commandership)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Command (saināpatya) is portrayed as a dharmic trust: true leadership is validated by alignment with a higher order (the devagaṇas) and implies disciplined responsibility rather than mere dominance.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator notes that Skanda has obtained the role of commander-in-chief and is positioned among the divine hosts, marking his recognized status as leader of the gods’ forces within the unfolding account.