Shloka 48

कार्त्तिकेयाभिषेकः — Consecration of Kārttikeya and the Enumeration of His Retinue

Devanagari script

पूर्वमेवादिदेशासौ निकायेषु महात्मनाम्‌ । समर्थ च तमैश्व॒र्ये महामतिरमन्यत

Transliteration

pūrvam evādideśāsau nikāyeṣu mahātmanām | samarthaṃ ca tam aiśvarye mahāmatir amanyata ||

Translation

वैशम्पायन उवाच—स पूर्वमेव महात्मनां निकायेषु स्वाज्ञां न्यधात्; स च महामतिः तमैश्वर्ये समर्थमिति मन्यत।

Word by Word

पूर्वम्formerly, earlier

एवindeed, just

आदिदेशcommanded, ordered

असौhe (that person)

निकायेषुin the groups/assemblies

महात्मनाम्of the great-souled (men)

समर्थःcapable, competent

चand

तम्him

ऐश्वर्येin sovereignty/power

महामतिःthe great-minded one

अमन्यतthought, considered

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

mahāmatī (unnamed great-minded leader)

mahātmānaḥ (great-souled warriors/leaders)

nikāyāḥ (troop-divisions/companies)

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?

Authority (aiśvarya) should be entrusted on the basis of proven capability and prior disciplined organization; wise leadership is shown by recognizing fitness for responsibility rather than relying on mere status or force.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator states that orders had already been issued across the troop-divisions of the eminent warriors, and that a discerning leader regarded a particular person as competent to assume or exercise sovereign command.