Shloka 43

Kārttikeya-Abhiṣecana: Mātṛgaṇa-Nāma Saṃkīrtana and Skanda’s Commission

Devanagari script

पाणीतकं कालिकं च महामायाविनायुभौ

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | pāṇītakaṃ kālikaṃ ca mahāmāyāvināyubhau, rudravasubhirādityair aśvibhyāṃ ca vṛtaḥ prabhuḥ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: The mighty Lord—accompanied by the two great illusion-wielding beings, Pāṇītaka and Kālika—stood surrounded by the Rudras, the Vasus, the Ādityas, and the twin Aśvins. In this scene, the gods gather in reverent attendance around the divine commander, marking his supreme authority and the cosmic sanction behind the unfolding events of war.

Word by Word

• पाणीतकम्: Pāṇītaka (a name/epithet; lit. ‘having hands’/‘handed’)
• पाणीतकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणीतक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कालिकम्: Kālika (a name/epithet; ‘dark/blackish’)
• कालिकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालिक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• महामायाविनौ: two great illusionists
• महामायाविनौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महामायाविन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• इयुभौ: those two
• इयुभौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इयु (अनियमित सर्वनाम/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• रुद्रैः: by/with the Rudras
• रुद्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• वसुभिः: by/with the Vasus
• वसुभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• आदित्यैः: by/with the Ādityas
• आदित्यैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अश्विभ्याम्: by/with the two Aśvins
• अश्विभ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्विन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Dual

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वृतः: surrounded/encircled
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (वृञ् वरणे)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• प्रभुः: the lord
• प्रभुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pāṇītaka
• Kālika
• Rudras
• Vasus
• Ādityas
• Aśvins (Aśvinīkumāras)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes cosmic legitimacy and reverent order: when divine powers assemble around a single lordly figure, it signals sanctioned authority and the alignment of many forces under a higher command—an ethical reminder that power is ideally exercised within a recognized cosmic and moral framework.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a scene where a powerful lord is encircled by major classes of gods—Rudras, Vasus, Ādityas, and the Aśvin twins—along with two beings described as great masters of māyā (Pāṇītaka and Kālika), indicating a solemn divine gathering and attendance.