Shloka 74

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

Devanagari script

अचल: कनकाक्षश्न बालानामपि य: प्रभु: । संचारकः कोकनदो गृश्रपत्रश्चन जम्बुक:

Transliteration

acalaḥ kanakākṣaś ca bālānām api yaḥ prabhuḥ | sañcārakaḥ kokanado gṛdhrapatraś ca na jambukaḥ ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു— അവൻ അചലൻ; ‘കനകാക്ഷൻ’ (സ്വർണ്ണനേത്രൻ); ബാലന്മാരിലും പ്രഭുത്വമുള്ളവൻ. അവൻ സഞ്ചാരകൻ (ദൂതനെപ്പോലെ സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നവൻ); ‘കോകനദ’ എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്നവൻ; ‘ഗൃധ്രപത്രൻ’ (കഴുകൻചിറകുള്ളവൻ)— എന്നാൽ ‘ജംബുകൻ’ (കുറുക്കൻ) അല്ല.

Word by Word

अचलःthe mountain (immovable one)

कनकाक्षःgolden-eyed (one)

बालानाम्of children / of the young

अपिeven / also

यःwho

प्रभुःlord / master

संचारकःwanderer / mover about

कोकनदःred lotus

गृध्रपत्रःvulture-feathered / having vulture-like wings

चand

नnot

जम्बुकःjackal

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kokanada

Jambuka (jackal)

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 emphasizes discerning true strength and nobility: the described figure is steady, authoritative, and fit for responsible movement (as a messenger/scout), and should not be dismissed as something base or cowardly (“not a jackal”).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana lists epithets describing a particular person/agent—portraying him as firm, commanding even over the young, active as a mover or messenger, known by specific names, and explicitly distinguished from a contemptible or cowardly type.