Shloka 97

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

Devanagari script

कृष्णा निर्मासवक्त्राश्च दीर्घपृष्ठास्तनूदरा: । स्थूलपृष्ठा हस्वपृष्ठा: प्रलम्बोदरमेहना:,कोई काले थे, किन्हींके मुखपर मांसरहित हड्डियोंका ढाँचामात्र था। किन्हींकी पीठ बहुत बड़ी थी और पेट भीतरको धँसा हुआ था। किन्हींकी पीठ मोटी और किन्हींकी छोटी थी। किन्हींके पेट और मूत्रेन्द्रिय दोनों बड़े थे

Transliteration

kṛṣṇā nirmāṃsavaktrāś ca dīrghapṛṣṭhāstanūdarāḥ | sthūlapṛṣṭhā hrasvapṛṣṭhāḥ pralambodaramehanāḥ ||

Translation

Waiśampāyana berkata: Ada yang tampak gelap; ada pula yang wajahnya tanpa daging, hanya rangka tulang yang terlihat. Sebagian berpinggang punggung sangat panjang dengan perut mengempis ke dalam; sebagian berpunggung lebar, sebagian berpunggung pendek; dan sebagian lagi berperut buncit dengan organ kencing yang membesar.

Word by Word

कृष्णाःblack/dark (ones)

निर्मांस-वक्त्राःhaving faces without flesh

चand

दीर्घ-पृष्ठाःhaving long backs

तनु-उदराःhaving thin/sunken bellies

स्थूल-पृष्ठाःhaving thick/broad backs

ह्रस्व-पृष्ठाःhaving short backs

प्रलम्ब-उदर-मेहनाःhaving pendulous bellies and genitals

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

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 moral shock: it highlights the grotesque bodily degradation associated with violence and its aftermath, discouraging any glorification of war and prompting compassion and ethical reflection on the consequences of adharma and cruelty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a terrifying sight of beings with distorted, skeletal, and abnormal bodies—an image used to convey the grim atmosphere surrounding the events in Shalya Parva and the dreadful consequences that follow the great war.