Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 41

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

Devanagari script

सुव्रतं सत्यसंधं च ददौ मित्रो महात्मने । कुमाराय महात्मानौ तपोविद्याधरी प्रभु:

Transliteration

suvrataṃ satyasaṃdhaṃ ca dadau mitro mahātmane | kumārāya mahātmānau tapovidyādharī prabhuḥ, rudrair vasubhir ādityair aśvibhyāṃ ca vṛtaḥ prabhuḥ |

Translation

ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ພຣະເຈົ້າຜູ້ມີອຳນາດຍິ່ງ ຜູ້ສົມບູນດ້ວຍຕະປະ ແລະ ວິຊາອັນສັກສິດ ໄດ້ປະທານໃຫ້ແກ່ກຸມາຣະ (ກາຣຕິເກຍ) ຜູ້ມີຈິດໃຈຍິ່ງ ມີສະຫາຍຄື “ມິຕຣະ” ຜູ້ຖືວຣະຕະດີ ແລະ ຍືນຍົງໃນສັດຈະ. ແລ້ວພຣະອົງຜູ້ສະຫວ່າງໄສນັ້ນ ຢືນຢູ່ທ່າມກາງການຫ້ອມລ້ອມຂອງ ຣຸທຣະ, ວະສຸ, ອາທິຕຍະ ແລະ ອັສວິນຄູ່—ເປັນການຊີ້ວ່າ ຄວາມສັດຊື່ ແລະ ວຣະຕະອັນມີວິໄນ ແມ່ນເຄື່ອງປະດັບອັນຄວນຄ່າຂອງອຳນາດ.

Word by Word

• सुव्रतम्: of good vows/discipline
• सुव्रतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुव्रत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सत्यसन्धम्: true to his pledge
• सत्यसन्धम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्यसन्ध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• ददौ: gave
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (दाने)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मित्रः: Mitra (the deity)
• मित्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महात्मने: to the great-souled one
• महात्मने: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• कुमाराय: to Kumāra (Kārttikeya)
• कुमाराय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• महात्मानौ: the two great-souled ones
• महात्मानौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• तपोविद्याधरी: possessing ascetic power and knowledge
• तपोविद्याधरी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपोविद्याधरिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रभुः: the lord
• प्रभुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रुद्रैः: by/with the Rudras
• रुद्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• वसुभिः: by/with the Vasus
• वसुभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• आदित्यैः: by/with the Ādityas
• आदित्यैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अश्विभ्याम्: by/with the two Aśvins
• अश्विभ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्विन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Dual

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वृतः: surrounded
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत (√वृ, वरणे/आवरणे)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

• प्रभुः: the lord
• प्रभुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Kumāra (Kārttikeya/Skanda)
• Mitra
• Rudras
• Vasus
• Ādityas
• Aśvinau (Aśvinīkumāras)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse elevates satya (truth) and vrata (disciplined vows) as defining virtues of worthy companionship and authority: divine power is portrayed as harmonized with ethical steadfastness, suggesting that greatness is validated by truthfulness and self-restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana describes Kumāra (Kārttikeya) being honored: Mitra—characterized as suvrata and satyasaṃdha—is bestowed/assigned to him, and Kumāra is shown standing encircled by major classes of deities (Rudras, Vasus, Ādityas, and the Aśvins), emphasizing his eminence and divine recognition.