Shloka 28
Duryodhana’s Śaraṇāgati and the Pāṇḍavas’ Resolve
Gandharva Encounter
मार्कण्डेय उवाच यदाभिषिक्तो भगवान् सैनापत्येन पावकि: । तदा सम्प्रस्थित: श्रीमान् हृष्टो भद्रवर्ट हर:,मार्कण्डेयजी कहते हैं-राजन्! जब अग्निनन्दन भगवान् स्कन्दका सेनापतिके पदपर अभिषेक हो गया, तब श्रीमान् भगवान् शिव देवी पार्वतीके साथ सूर्यके समान रथपर आखरूढ हो प्रसन्नतापूर्वक भद्रवटकी ओर प्रस्थित हुए। उस समय इन्द्र आदि सब देवता उनके पीछे-पीछे चले। भगवान् शिवके उस उत्तम रथमें एक हजार सिंह जुते हुए थे
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | yadābhiṣikto bhagavān saināpatyena pāvakiḥ | tadā samprasthitaḥ śrīmān hṛṣṭo bhadravaṭaṁ haraḥ |
Markandeya said: “O king, when Skanda—the divine son of Agni—had been consecrated by abhiṣeka to the office of commander of the hosts, then the illustrious Lord Hara (Śiva), filled with joy, mounted a chariot radiant as the sun, together with the goddess Pārvatī, and set out toward Bhadravaṭa. At that time Indra and all the other gods followed behind him. To Śiva’s splendid chariot a thousand lions were yoked as its steeds.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Legitimate authority is affirmed through proper rites and communal recognition: once Skanda is duly consecrated as commander, the divine community supports that order, illustrating dharma as structured, sanctioned leadership rather than mere power.
After Skanda (the son of Agni) is installed as commander-in-chief, Śiva—joyful and resplendent—departs for the place called Bhadravaṭa, marking a transition from appointment to action within the divine campaign context.