Shloka 11
स्कन्दसेनापत्याभिषेकः
Skanda’s Consecration as Devasenāpati
अन्नित्व॑ विप्रणष्टं हि तप्यमानस्य मे तप: । कथमग्नि: पुनरहं भवेयमिति चिन्त्य सः
annitvaṁ vipraṇaṣṭaṁ hi tapyamānasya me tapaḥ | katham agniḥ punar ahaṁ bhaveyam iti cintya saḥ ||
“വേദന സഹിച്ച് ചെയ്ത എന്റെ തപസ്സ് വ്യർത്ഥമായി നഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടു; എന്റെ അഗ്നിത്വം തന്നെ ലോപിച്ചു. ഞാൻ വീണ്ടും എങ്ങനെ അഗ്നിയാകും?”—എന്ന് ചിന്തിച്ച് അദ്ദേഹം മനനം ചെയ്തു.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical self-scrutiny: when spiritual effort (tapas) seems to fail or be nullified, one must honestly recognize the loss and seek the right means of restoration rather than clinging to pride in austerity.
Yudhiṣṭhira reports a moment of crisis: someone (contextually connected with Agni) feels that his austerity has become futile and, reflecting on this downfall, wonders how he might regain the state of being Agni—i.e., recover his former divine/fire identity or power.