Shloka 11

Āraṇyaka Parva, Adhyāya 233 — Pandavas Mobilize; Arjuna’s Conciliation and the Onset of Combat

Devanagari script

स्कन्ददेव! आप ब्राह्मणहितैषी, ब्रह्मात्मज, ब्रह्मवेत्ता, ब्रह्मनिष्ठ, ब्रह्मज्ञानियोंमें श्रेष्ठ, ब्राह्मणप्रिय, ब्राह्मणोंके समान व्रतधारी, ब्रह्मज्ञ तथा ब्राह्मणोंके नेता हैं

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca: skandadeva! āp brāhmaṇa-hitaiṣī, brahmātmaja, brahma-vettā, brahma-niṣṭha, brahma-jñāniṣu śreṣṭha, brāhmaṇa-priya, brāhmaṇavat vrata-dhārī, brahma-jña tathā brāhmaṇānāṃ netā asi.

Translation

मार्कण्डेय म्हणाले—हे स्कन्ददेवा! आपण ब्राह्मणांचे हितचिंतक; ब्रह्मदेवाचे आत्मज; ब्रह्मज्ञ; ब्रह्मनिष्ठ; ब्रह्मज्ञान्यांमध्ये श्रेष्ठ आहात. आपण ब्राह्मणांना प्रिय; ब्राह्मणांसारखे व्रत पाळणारे; स्वतः ब्रह्मज्ञ आणि ब्राह्मणसमुदायाचे नेता व रक्षक आहात.

Word by Word

• स्कन्ददेव: O Lord Skanda
• स्कन्ददेव: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्ददेव
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• ब्राह्मणहितैषी: well-wisher of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणहितैषी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्मणहितैषिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्रह्मात्मज: son of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मात्मज: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मात्मज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्रह्मवेत्ता: knower of Brahman
• ब्रह्मवेत्ता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मवेतृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्रह्मनिष्ठ: steadfast in Brahman
• ब्रह्मनिष्ठ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मनिष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्रह्मज्ञानिषु: among the knowers of Brahman
• ब्रह्मज्ञानिषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मज्ञानिन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• श्रेष्ठ: the best
• श्रेष्ठ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्राह्मणप्रिय: dear to Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणप्रिय: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्मणप्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्राह्मणैः: with/by Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• समान: equal/similar
• समान: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समान
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• व्रतधारी: observer of vows
• व्रतधारी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्रतधारिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्रह्मज्ञ: knower of Brahman
• ब्रह्मज्ञ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• नेता: leader
• नेता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेतृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• असि: you are
• असि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present, Second, Singular

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Skanda (Kārttikeya)
• Brahmā
• Brāhmaṇas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames ideal divine leadership as grounded in brahma-jñāna (spiritual realization) and brāhmaṇa-hita (support of learning, ritual order, and ethical discipline). Authority is legitimized not merely by power but by steadfastness in truth (brahma-niṣṭhā) and protective guidance of the custodians of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya addresses Skanda with a formal eulogy, listing honorific epithets that establish Skanda’s spiritual pedigree (son of Brahmā), his realization (knower of Brahman), and his social-ethical role (beloved leader and benefactor of Brahmins). This praise typically functions to invoke Skanda’s attention and favor before a request, teaching, or boon.