Mahabharata 9.46.60 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 46, Shloka 60

Varuṇābhiṣeka–Agni-anveṣaṇa–Kaubera-tīrtha

Varuṇa’s Consecration; Search for Agni; Kaubera Sacred Site

Devanagari script

ततः प्रीतो महासेनस्त्रिदशे भ्यो वरं ददौ । रिपून्‌ हन्तास्मि समरे ये वो वधचिकीर्षव:

Transliteration

tataḥ prīto mahāsenas tridaśebhyo varaṃ dadau | ripūn hantāsmi samare ye vo vadhacikīrṣavaḥ ||

Translation

Then Mahāsena (Kumāra), pleased, granted a boon to the gods: “In battle I shall slay those enemies of yours who seek to kill you.” The verse frames divine favor as a pledged protection: satisfaction (prīti) leads to a vow that restrains harm to the righteous side and directs force toward aggressors.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya

• प्रीतः: pleased
• प्रीतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्री (धातु) → प्रीत (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महासेनः: Mahāsena (Kumāra/Skanda)
• महासेनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महासेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्रिदशेभ्यः: to the gods (the thirty)
• त्रिदशेभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Plural

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: Aorist (Luṅ), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• रिपून्: enemies
• रिपून्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• हन्ता: I will slay / I am the slayer (will be)
• हन्ता: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हन्तृ (कृदन्त/नामधातु-प्रयोगः)
• Form: Periphrastic future sense (agent-noun used predicatively), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अस्मि: am
• अस्मि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Parasmaipada, 1st person, Singular

• समरे: in battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• ये: who/which
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वः: of you/your
• वः: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive, Plural

• वधचिकीर्षवः: desiring to kill (you)
• वधचिकीर्षवः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वध-चिकीर्षु (प्रातिपदिक; इच्छार्थक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Mahāsena (Kumāra/Skanda)
• Tridaśa (the Devas)
• Enemies (Ripus)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A boon is ethically framed as protective force: violence is directed not indiscriminately but toward those who initiate wrongful harm (those intending to kill the gods). The verse emphasizes pledged guardianship and the moral logic of countering aggressors.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Kumāra Mahāsena, pleased, grants the devas a boon, promising to destroy in battle all their enemies who are bent on killing them.