Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 52
Kārttikeya-Abhiṣecana: Mātṛgaṇa-Nāma Saṃkīrtana and Skanda’s Commission
जयं महाजयं चैव नागौ ज्वलनसूनवे
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
jayaṃ mahājayaṃ caiva nāgau jvalanasūnave |
rudrair vasubhir ādityair aśvibhyāṃ ca vṛtaḥ prabhuḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Around the Lord—Agni’s son (Kārttikeya)—stood the Nāga chiefs Jaya and Mahājaya, and he was also encircled by the Rudras, the Vasus, the Ādityas, and the twin Aśvins. The scene presents the war-god not as a solitary power but as one upheld by the ordered forces of the cosmos, suggesting that true might is legitimized and restrained by divine order rather than mere violence.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power in a dharmic setting is shown as sanctioned and balanced by cosmic order: the war-god’s strength is framed as supported by divine collectives (Rudras, Vasus, Ādityas, Aśvins), implying that force gains legitimacy when aligned with higher order rather than personal aggression.
Vaiśampāyana describes a ceremonial, protective gathering: the Nāga chiefs Jaya and Mahājaya, along with major divine groups, stand around Agni’s son (Kārttikeya), visually portraying him as the focal commander upheld by many divine powers.