Shloka 98

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

Devanagari script

महाभुजा हस्वभुजा हस्वगात्राश्व॒ वामना: । कुब्जाश्न॒ हस्वजड्घाश्न हस्तिकर्णशिरोधरा:,किन्हींकी भुजाएँ विशाल थीं तो किन्हींकी बहुत छोटी। कोई छोटे-छोटे अंगोंवाले और बौने थे। कोई कुबड़े थे तो किन्हीं-किन्हींकी जाँघें बहुत छोटी थीं। कोई हाथीके समान कान और गर्दन धारण करते थे

Transliteration

mahābhujā hrasvabhujā hrasvagātrāś ca vāmanāḥ | kubjāś ca hrasvajaṅghāś ca hastikarṇaśirodharāḥ ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ചിലർക്കു മഹാഭുജങ്ങൾ, ചിലർക്കു ഹ്രസ്വഭുജങ്ങൾ. ചിലർ ചെറുഅംഗങ്ങളുള്ള വാമനർ; ചിലർ കുബ്ജർ; ചിലർക്കു ജംഘകൾ അത്യന്തം ഹ്രസ്വം; ചിലർ ഹസ്തിയെപ്പോലെ കാതുകളും ശിരസ്സും ധരിച്ചവരായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

महाभुजाःhaving great/large arms

ह्रस्वभुजाःhaving short arms

ह्रस्वगात्राःhaving short limbs/body-parts

चand

वामनाःdwarfs; short-statured ones

कुब्जाःhunchbacks

चand

ह्रस्वजङ्घाःhaving short shanks/thighs

चand

हस्तिकर्णशिरोधराःbearing elephant-like ears and heads

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse cautions against judging by appearance: the war narrative includes beings of many strange and imperfect forms, implying that external shape is not a reliable indicator of virtue, capacity, or adherence to dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is describing a group present in the war context, listing their varied and abnormal physical features—mighty-armed, short-armed, dwarfish, hunchbacked, short-legged, and even elephant-eared or elephant-headed—heightening the ominous atmosphere around the conflict.