Shloka 226

चित्रसेनगन्धर्वैः कौरवसंनिपातः

Citrasena and the Kaurava engagement

Devanagari script

गोब्राह्मणहितार्थाय सैनापत्येडभिषिज्च माम्‌ | स्कन्द बोले--देवराज! दानवोंके विनाश, देवताओंके कार्यकी सिद्धि तथा गौओं और ब्राह्मणोंके हितके लिये आप सेनापतिके पदपर मेरा अभिषेक कीजिये

Transliteration

gobrāhmaṇahitārthāya senāpatye 'bhiṣiñca mām |

Translation

Skanda sprach: „O König der Götter, zur Vernichtung der Dānava, zur Vollendung der Werke der Devas und zum Heil der Kühe und der Brahmanen weihe mich zum Amt des Oberbefehlshabers.“

Word by Word

• गोब्राह्मणहितार्थाय: for the purpose of the welfare of cows and Brahmins
• गोब्राह्मणहितार्थाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो-ब्राह्मण-हित-अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• सैनापत्ये: in/into the office of generalship
• सैनापत्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैनापत्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अभिषिञ्च: anoint (consecrate)
• अभिषिञ्च: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-षिच्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Accusative, Singular

Speaker

स्कन्द उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Skanda (Kārttikeya)
• Indra (Devarāja, implied)
• cows (go)
• Brahmins (brāhmaṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Legitimate power and military authority are justified when oriented toward dharma—especially the protection of those regarded as foundational to social and ritual order, here symbolized by cows and Brahmins.

What is happening in the narrative?

Skanda addresses the king of the gods (Indra) and requests formal consecration to the post of commander-in-chief, presenting the appointment as necessary for safeguarding dharmic welfare rather than for personal glory.