Shloka 67

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

Devanagari script

गायनो हसनश्नैव बाण: खड्गश्न वीर्यवान्‌ वैताली गतिताली च तथा कथकवातिकौ

Transliteration

gāyano hasanaś caiva bāṇaḥ khaḍgaś ca vīryavān | vaitālī gatitālī ca tathā kathakavātikau ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു— അവിടെ ഗായനനും ഹസനനും ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു; കൂടാതെ വീര്യവാനായ ബാണനും ഖഡ്ഗനും; അതുപോലെ വൈതാലിയും ഗതിതാലിയും; കഥകനും വാതികനും കൂടിയിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

गायनःa singer

हसनःa laugher/jester

चand

अश्नैवand indeed/just so (reading uncertain)

बाणःan arrow

खड्गश्चand a sword

वीर्यवान्powerful, valiant

वैतालीa female bard/singer (vaitālī)

गतितालीa time-keeper of rhythm/movement (lit. gait-rhythm)

चand

तथाlikewise, also

कथकौtwo storytellers/reciters

वातिकौtwo jesters/entertainers (reading uncertain)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Gāyana

Hasana

Bāṇa

Khaḍga

Vaitālī

Gatitālī

Kathaka

Vātika

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse does not present a direct moral injunction; its ethical implication is contextual: it records the presence of cultural functionaries (singers, jesters, storytellers, dancers) within royal society, indicating that public speech, praise, satire, and narrative performance were recognized social roles even during the upheaval of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana lists a set of named individuals—apparently performers or entertainers—forming part of a larger enumeration of people present in the royal/army setting in this section of Śalya Parva.