Shloka 13

Devanagari script

मातलिखस्वाच अयं हर्यश्वयुक्‌ जैत्रो मघोन: स्यन्दनोत्तम: । अनेन शक्र: काकुत्स्थ समरे दैत्यदानवान्‌

Transliteration

mātaliḥ sva-āca ayaṁ haryaśva-yuk jaitro maghonaḥ syandanottamaḥ | anena śakraḥ kākutstha samare daitya-dānavān

Translation

मातलि बोले— “हे काकुत्स्थ! यह मघवा (इन्द्र) का हरे घोड़ों से युक्त, विजयदायक, उत्तम रथ है। इसी रथ से शक्र ने संग्राम में दैत्य और दानवों का सामना किया है।”

Word by Word

मातलिO Mātali

खस्वdig (out)

अचand/also (particle)

अयम्this

हर्यश्व-युक्yoked with tawny horses

जैत्रःvictorious

मघोनःof Maghavan (Indra)

स्यन्दन-उत्तमःthe best chariot

अनेनby/with this

शक्रःŚakra (Indra)

काकुत्स्थO Kākutstha (Rāma)

समरेin battle

दैत्य-दानवान्the Daityas and Dānavas

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mātali

Maghavan (Indra)

Śakra (Indra)

Kākutstha (Rāma)

Hari horses

Indra’s chariot (syandana)

Daityas

Dānavas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores that righteous struggle is strengthened by worthy instruments and divine support: the chariot symbolizes preparedness and sanctioned power used to confront forces that threaten cosmic and social order (daitya-dānava).

What is happening in the narrative?

Mātali identifies Indra’s supreme, victory-bringing chariot yoked with the Hari horses and tells Kākutstha (Rāma) that Indra used it to fight Daityas and Dānavas—highlighting the chariot’s proven prowess and legitimacy in battle.