Shloka 64

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

Devanagari script

वृषो मेष: प्रवाहश्चन तथा नन्दोपनन्दकौ । धूम्र: श्वेत: कलिड्रश्न सिद्धार्थो वरदस्तथा

Transliteration

vṛṣo meṣaḥ pravāhaś caiva tathā nandopanandakau | dhūmraḥ śvetaḥ kaliḍraśnaḥ siddhārtho varadas tathā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “(Ada) Vṛṣa, Meṣa, dan Pravāha; demikian juga Nanda dan Upananda; serta Dhūmra, Śveta, Kaliḍraśna, Siddhārtha, dan Varada.”

Word by Word

वृषःbull

मेmy/of me

मेषःram

प्रवाहःstream/flow

चand

नnot

तथाthus/also

नन्दNanda (proper name)

उपनन्दकौUpananda (proper name); the two (Nanda and Upananda)

धूम्रःsmoky/grey

श्वेतःwhite

कलिड्रश्नKalidraśna (proper name/epithet; reading uncertain)

सिद्धार्थःSiddhārtha (proper name); one whose aim is accomplished

वरदःboon-giver

तथाand likewise/also

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vṛṣa

Meṣa

Pravāha

Nanda

Upananda

Dhūmra

Śveta

Kaliḍraśna

Siddhārtha

Varada

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 functions less as a moral injunction and more as epic record-keeping: by naming individuals in the war context, it highlights the Mahābhārata’s concern with preserving remembrance and lineage, implying that the consequences of adharma and conflict extend to many lives, not only the famous heroes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is reciting a list of named persons (likely warriors or associated figures) within the Shalya Parva’s war narration, using a catalogue style to enumerate participants.