Shloka 26
Kārttikeya-Abhiṣecana: Mātṛgaṇa-Nāma Saṃkīrtana and Skanda’s Commission
मायाशतथधरं काम॑ कामवीर्य बलान्वितम् | ददौ स्कन्दाय राजेन्द्र सुरारिविनिबर्हणम्
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
māyāśatadharaṃ kāmaṃ kāmavīrya-balānvitam |
dadau skandāya rājendra surārivinibarhaṇam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: O king, Śiva bestowed upon Skanda a mighty being—one who bore hundreds of magical powers, whose strength and prowess could be summoned at will, and who was capable of crushing the enemies of the gods. The scene underscores a moral logic of the epic: when cosmic order is threatened, divine power is entrusted to a worthy commander, not for personal gain but for the protection of dharma and the restraint of destructive forces.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power is portrayed as legitimate when it is entrusted for the protection of dharma—used to restrain forces that threaten the gods’ order, not to satisfy private ambition. The verse frames might (bala, vīrya) as ethically directed when aligned with cosmic responsibility.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Skanda is granted a formidable ally/force characterized by hundreds of māyās (magical capacities) and on-demand strength, specifically described as capable of crushing the enemies of the gods—signaling divine mobilization for a larger conflict.