Shloka 111
Kārttikeya-Abhiṣecana: Mātṛgaṇa-Nāma Saṃkīrtana and Skanda’s Commission
गदाभुशुण्डिहस्ताश्व॒ तथा तोमरपाणय: । आयुर्धर्विविधैघोरिर्महात्मानो महाजवा:
gadā-bhuśuṇḍi-hastāś ca tathā tomara-pāṇayaḥ | āyudhair vividhais ghorair mahātmāno mahā-javāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Some of those great-souled, exceedingly swift warriors bore maces and bhuśuṇḍis in their hands, while others carried spears. Equipped with many kinds of dreadful weapons, they stood ready for battle—an image of martial power that also underscores the grim moral weight of war, where prowess and preparedness serve a cause whose consequences are fearful.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the warriors’ readiness and formidable armament, implicitly reminding the reader that war—though aligned with kṣatriya duty—carries a fearful moral gravity: power and speed are not ethically neutral when deployed in violent conflict.
Vaiśampāyana describes groups of mighty, swift fighters in the battle setting, noting the specific weapons they carry—maces, bhuśuṇḍis, and spears—and emphasizing their terrifying variety of arms.