Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 95
Kārttikeya-Abhiṣecana: Mātṛgaṇa-Nāma Saṃkīrtana and Skanda’s Commission
त्रिशिखा द्विशिखाश्षैव तथा सप्तशिखा: परे | शिखण्डिनो मुकुटिनो मुण्डाश्व जटिलास्तथा
triśikhā dviśikhāś caiva tathā saptaśikhāḥ pare | śikhaṇḍino mukuṭino muṇḍāś ca jaṭilās tathā ||
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。「ある者は三つの髻、ある者は二つ、またある者は七つの髻を結んでいた。ある者は羽根を冠のように飾り、ある者は宝冠を戴く。ある者は剃髪し、またある者は結い固めた乱髪（ジャター）を垂らしていた。」
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that external signs—topknots, crowns, shaved heads, or matted locks—mark different affiliations, vows, or styles, yet they do not by themselves determine righteousness. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical horizon, inner intention and adherence to dharma matter more than outward appearance, even amid the pageantry of war.
Vaiśampāyana is describing the assembled fighters by their distinctive head-ornaments and hairstyles. It is a vivid catalogue-like detail that conveys the scale and heterogeneity of the forces present in the Shalya Parva’s war setting.