Shloka 98
Kārttikeya-Abhiṣecana: Mātṛgaṇa-Nāma Saṃkīrtana and Skanda’s Commission
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
mahābhujā hrasvabhujā hrasvagātrāś ca vāmanāḥ | kubjāś ca hrasvajaṅghāś ca hastikarṇaśirodharāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Among them, some had mighty arms, while others had very short arms. Some were small-limbed and dwarfish; some were hunchbacked; some had very short thighs; and some bore ears and a head like those of an elephant. The narration underscores the unsettling diversity of forms present in the war’s orbit, reminding the listener that the field of conflict draws in beings of many kinds and conditions, not all of them noble or beautiful, and that outward form is no sure measure of inner worth or dharma.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.
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.