Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 94
Kārttikeya-Abhiṣecana: Mātṛgaṇa-Nāma Saṃkīrtana and Skanda’s Commission
उष्णीषिणो मुकुटिन: सुग्रीवाश्च॒ सुवर्चस: । किरीटिन: पञठचशिखास्तथा काज्चनमूर्धजा:
uṣṇīṣiṇo mukuṭinaḥ sugrīvāś ca suvarcasaḥ | kirīṭinaḥ pañcaśikhās tathā kāñcanamūrdhajāḥ ||
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。「ある者はターバンを巻き、ある者は輝く冠を戴いていた。ある者は首太く、肌の光沢も麗しかった。ある者は宝冠を着け、ある者は頭頂に五つの髻を結び、またある者は髪が黄金色であった。」
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive rather than didactic: it highlights the outward diversity and splendor of warriors—insignia, grooming, and radiance—underscoring how war gathers many ranks and styles under a single, grave purpose.
Vaiśampāyana describes the assembled fighters in the Shalya Parva context, noting their varied headgear (turbans, crowns, diadems), distinctive hairstyles (including five topknots), and striking physical presence, as part of the broader battlefield tableau.