Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 55

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

Devanagari script

दिव्यप्रहरणोपेतान्‌ नानावेषविभूषितान्‌ । इस प्रकार साध्य, रुद्र, वसु, पितृगण, समुद्र, सरिताओं और महाबली पर्वतोंने उन्हें विभिन्न सेनापति अर्पित किये, जो शूल, पट्टिश और नाना प्रकारके दिव्य आयुध धारण किये हुए थे। वे सब-के-सब भाँति-भाँतिकी वेश-भूषासे विभूषित थे | ५३-५४ $ ।।

Transliteration

divyapraharaṇopetān nānāvēṣavibhūṣitān | śṛṇu nāmāni cāpy eṣāṁ ye ’nye skandasya sainikāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “They were furnished with celestial weapons and adorned in many different guises and ornaments. Now hear also the names of those other warriors who serve under Skanda.”

Word by Word

• {'divya': 'celestial, divine', 'praharaṇa': 'weapon, instrument of striking', 'upeta': 'endowed with, furnished with', 'nānā': 'various, many kinds of', 'veṣa': 'guise, attire, appearance', 'vibhūṣita': 'adorned, decorated', 'śṛṇu': 'hear (imperative)', 'nāmāni': 'names', 'ca api': 'and also', 'eṣām': 'of these (genitive plural)', 'anye': 'others', 'skanda': 'Skanda (Kārttikeya), commander of the divine hosts', 'sainika': 'soldier, warrior', 'skandasya sainikāḥ': 'Skanda’s troops/warriors'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Skanda (Kārttikeya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage underscores disciplined martial order under a divine commander (Skanda): power and weaponry are presented as structured and accountable, not random—implying that force gains legitimacy only when organized under rightful leadership.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator transitions from describing warriors equipped with celestial weapons and diverse adornments to announcing a forthcoming catalogue: he invites the listener to hear the names of Skanda’s other troops.