Shloka 105

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

Devanagari script

पिड़ाक्षा नीलकण्ठाश्न लम्बकर्णाक्ष भारत । वृकोदरनिभाश्चैव केचिदज्जनसंनिभा:,भरतनन्दन! उनकी आँखें भूरी थीं, कण्ठमें नीले रंगका चिह्न था और कान लंबे-लंबे थे। किन्हींका रंग भेड़ियोंके उदरके समान था तो कोई काजलके समान काले थे

Transliteration

piḍākṣā nīlakaṇṭhāś ca lambakarṇākṣa bhārata | vṛkodaranibhāś caiva kecid añjanasannibhāḥ ||

Translation

Waiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai putra Bhārata, sebagian bermata cokelat kekuningan; sebagian memiliki tanda kebiruan di tenggorokan; sebagian bertelinga panjang terjuntai. Ada yang berwarna seperti perut serigala, dan ada pula yang hitam pekat seperti celak.”

Word by Word

पिङ्गाक्षाःhaving tawny/brown eyes

नीलकण्ठाःhaving blue-marked throats / blue-necked

लम्बकर्णाक्षाःhaving long ears and eyes (i.e., long-eared, long-eyed)

भारतO Bharata

वृकोदरनिभाःresembling a wolf's belly (in color/appearance)

चand

एवindeed/also

केचित्some (persons)

अञ्जनसंनिभाःresembling collyrium/black like kohl

भरतनन्दनO delight of Bharata (O son of Bharata)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhārata (Janamejaya)

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 is primarily descriptive rather than prescriptive: it underscores how, in the chaos of war, beings are portrayed through striking physical markers, reminding the listener that outward forms can signal fear, otherness, or ominous atmosphere, without themselves constituting dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is narrating to Janamejaya a scene in which various figures are described by distinctive bodily features—eye color, throat marks, ear length, and complexion—heightening the vividness and foreboding tone of the war narrative in Śalya Parva.