Shloka 986

Duryodhana’s Śaraṇāgati and the Pāṇḍavas’ Resolve

Gandharva Encounter

Devanagari script

स्कन्दहस्तमनुप्राप्ता दृश्यते देवदानवै: । उत्तर कुरुके निवासी अब उस मार्गसे सुखपूर्वक आते-जाते हैं। देवताओं और दानवोंने देखा, कुमार कार्तिकेय बार-बार शत्रुओंपर शक्तिका प्रहार करते हैं और वह सहस्रों योद्धाओंको मारकर पुनः उनके हाथमें लौट आती है

Transliteration

skandahastam anuprāptā dṛśyate devadānavaiḥ | uttarakuruke nivāsinaḥ ab us mārga se sukhapūrvakam āte-jāte haiṃ | devatāoṃ aura dānavoṃ ne dekhā, kumāra kārtikeya bār-bār śatruoṃ par śaktikā prahāra karate haiṃ aura vaha sahasroṃ yoddhāoṃ ko mārakara punaḥ unake hātha meṃ lauṭa ātī hai |

Translation

ಸ್ಕಂದನ ಕೈಗೆ ಮರಳಿ ಬರುವ ಆ ಶಕ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ದೇವರೂ ದಾನವರೂ ಕಂಡರು. ಕುಮಾರ ಕಾರ್ತಿಕೇಯನು ಶತ್ರುಗಳ ಮೇಲೆ ಮರುಮರು ಶಕ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ಎಸೆದು, ಸಾವಿರಾರು ಯೋಧರನ್ನು ಸಂಹರಿಸಿದ ಬಳಿಕ ಅದು ಮತ್ತೆ ಅವನ ಕೈಗೇ ಹಿಂದಿರುಗುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ಇದರಿಂದ ಉತ್ತರಕುರು ನಿವಾಸಿಗಳು ಆ ಮಾರ್ಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಖವಾಗಿ, ಸುರಕ್ಷಿತವಾಗಿ ಸಂಚರಿಸಲಾರಂಭಿಸಿದರು.

Word by Word

• स्कन्दहस्तम्: Skanda’s hand (i.e., the spear in Skanda’s hand / Skanda-hand)
• स्कन्दहस्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द-हस्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अनुप्राप्ताः: having reached / arrived
• अनुप्राप्ताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-प्राप्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• दृश्यते: is seen / appears
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Present, Ātmanepada, 3rd, Singular, Passive/Impersonal (contextual)

• देवदानवैः: by the gods and the Dānavas
• देवदानवैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-दानव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Skanda
• Kumāra Kārtikeya
• Devas
• Dānavas
• Uttara-Kuru
• Śakti (divine spear/weapon)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Divine power, when aligned with dharma, is portrayed as self-regulating and protective: it strikes down destructive forces and returns under rightful control, symbolizing that true authority is accountable to cosmic order rather than mere violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya describes a scene witnessed by both gods and Dānavas: Kārtikeya repeatedly hurls his śakti at enemies, slays vast numbers, and the weapon returns to his hand; alongside this, the route to Uttara-Kuru is depicted as safe and easy for its inhabitants.