Shloka 59

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

Devanagari script

सहख्बाहुर्विकटो व्याप्राक्ष: क्षितिकम्पन: । पुण्यनामा सुनामा च सुचक्र: प्रियदर्शन:

Transliteration

sahakṣabāhur vikaṭo vyāprākṣaḥ kṣitikampanaḥ | puṇyanāmā sunāmā ca sucakraḥ priyadarśanaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Había guerreros llamados Sahakṣabāhu, Vikaṭa, Vyāprākṣa y Kṣitikampana; también Puṇyanāmā y Sunāmā; y además Sucakra y Priyadarśana».

Word by Word

सहस्रबाहुःhaving a thousand arms

विकटःhuge, formidable

व्याघ्राक्षःtiger-eyed

क्षितिकम्पनःearth-shaking

पुण्यनामाof auspicious name

सुनामाwell-named

चand

सुचक्रःhaving a fine discus/wheel

प्रियदर्शनःpleasing to behold

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Sahakṣabāhu

Vikaṭa

Vyāprākṣa

Kṣitikampana

Puṇyanāmā

Sunāmā

Sucakra

Priyadarśana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse functions as a memorial-style roll call: in a vast war, even powerful figures become brief entries in a list. It subtly underscores the Mahābhārata’s ethical horizon—glory in violence is transient, while the consequences of adharma-driven conflict are immense.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana enumerates named warriors (likely combatants aligned with one side in the Kurukṣetra war) as part of a larger description of forces and participants during events in Śalya Parva, Adhyāya 45.