Shloka 86

Devanagari script

कार्तिकेयके द्वारा महिषासुरका वध तमापततन्तं महिषं दृष्टवा सेन्द्रा दिवौकस: । व्यद्रवन्त रणे भीता विकीर्णायुधकेतना:,उस महिषासुरको आते देख इन्द्र आदि सब देवता भयभीत हो अपने अस्त्र-शस्त्र और ध्वजा फेंककर युद्धभूमिसे भागने लगे

Transliteration

tam āpatatantaṃ mahiṣaṃ dṛṣṭvā sendrā divaukasaḥ | vyadravanta raṇe bhītā vikīrṇāyudha-ketanāḥ ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: Als sie den Büffeldämon auf sich zustürmen sahen, wurden die Götter—Indra voran—von Furcht ergriffen. Mitten in der Schlacht flohen sie, verstreuten ihre Waffen und warfen ihre Banner fort. Die Stelle zeigt, dass selbst die Mächtigen angesichts überwältigender Gewalt wanken können, und bereitet die Notwendigkeit standhaften Mutes und gerechter Macht vor, um die Ordnung wiederherzustellen.

Word by Word

तम्him/that one

आपतन्तम्rushing/charging (towards)

महिषम्buffalo (Mahisha)

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

सेन्द्राःwith Indra (i.e., including Indra)

दिवौकसःthe dwellers of heaven; gods

व्यद्रवन्तthey fled/ran away

रणेin battle

भीताःafraid

विकीर्णायुधकेतनाःwhose weapons and banners were scattered

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Indra

Devas (divaukasaḥ)

Mahiṣa / Mahiṣāsura

Weapons (āyudha)

Banners/standards (ketana)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral vulnerability of even powerful beings: fear can cause loss of resolve and abandonment of duty. It implicitly points to the need for steadfastness and righteous strength (dharma-bala) when confronting destructive forces.

What is happening in the narrative?

As the buffalo-demon (Mahiṣa/Mahiṣāsura) charges toward them, Indra and the other gods panic and flee the battlefield, dropping their weapons and standards—signaling a moment of divine defeat and disorder.