Shloka 216

Adhyāya 227: Duryodhana’s Deliberation and the Ghoṣa-yātrā Pretext

Dvaita-vana

Devanagari script

कामवीर्या घ्नन्तु चैनं तथेत्युक्त्वा च ता ययु: । यह सुनकर देवता बोले--“आपमें अब बल और पराक्रम नहीं रह गया है, इसीलिये ऐसी बातें कहते हैं। हमारी राय है कि सम्पूर्ण लोकमातृकाएँ स्कन्दके पास जायाँ। ये इच्छानुसार पराक्रम प्रकट कर सकती हैं; अतः स्कन्दको मार डालें।” तब “बहुत अच्छा' कहकर वे मातृकाएँ वहाँसे चल दीं

Transliteration

kāmavīryā ghnantu cainaṃ tathety uktvā ca tā yayuḥ |

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: “Let those endowed with desire-born power strike him down.” Having spoken thus—‘So be it’—the Mothers departed. In the surrounding narrative, the gods interpret the opponent’s words as arising from diminished strength and resolve, and they propose that the Lokamātṛkās, who can manifest prowess at will, should go to Skanda and kill him—revealing a morally tense moment where expediency and fear drive even divine counsel toward violence against a formidable protector-figure.

Word by Word

• {'kāma-vīryāḥ': 'those whose strength/power arises from desire or can be manifested at will', 'ghnantu': 'let them strike/kill (imperative, 3rd person plural)', 'enam': 'him (accusative singular pronoun)', 'tathā iti uktvā': 'having said ‘so be it/very well’', 'tāḥ': 'those (feminine plural

• here, the Mothers/Mātṛkās)', 'yayuḥ': 'they went/departed (perfect, 3rd person plural)', 'lokamātṛkāḥ': 'Mothers of the worlds

• a collective of divine mother-goddesses', 'skanda': 'Skanda (Kārttikeya), the divine warrior'}

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Devatās (gods)
• Lokamātṛkās / Mātṛkās
• Skanda (Kārttikeya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights how fear and perceived weakness can distort judgment, leading even revered authorities to endorse extreme measures. It invites reflection on dharma: power used ‘at will’ (kāma-vīrya) is ethically ambiguous unless restrained by discernment and rightful purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the gods conclude that the opponent speaks from lost strength, they advise that the Lokamātṛkās—capable of manifesting prowess as they wish—should go to Skanda and kill him. Agreeing (‘tathā’), the Mātṛkās set out.