Mahabharata 9.44.33 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 44, Shloka 33

कार्त्तिकेयाभिषेकः — Consecration of Kārttikeya and the Enumeration of His Retinue

Devanagari script

स तु बालो5पि बलवान्‌ महायोगबलान्वित:

Transliteration

sa tu bālo 'pi balavān mahāyogabalānvitāḥ

Translation

स तु बालोऽपि बलवान् महायोगबलान्वितः ॥

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• बालः: a boy/child
• बालः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• बलवान्: strong, powerful
• बलवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महायोगबलान्वितः: endowed with the great power of yoga
• महायोगबलान्वितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महायोगबलान्वित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• an unnamed boy (bālaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that true strength is not merely a matter of age or physical maturity; disciplined inner attainment (yogic/ascetic power) can confer exceptional capability, implying an ethical respect for tapas and self-mastery.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator Vaiśampāyana describes a figure who, despite being young, is portrayed as remarkably strong because he possesses great yogic power—setting up the audience to take his actions and influence seriously in the unfolding events.