Shloka 93
Kārttikeya-Abhiṣecana: Mātṛgaṇa-Nāma Saṃkīrtana and Skanda’s Commission
नानावेषधराश्चवैव नानामाल्यानुलेपना: । नानावस्त्रधराश्चैव चर्मवासस एव च,वे नाना प्रकारके वेश, भाँति-भाँतिकी माला और चन्दन तथा अनेक प्रकारके वस्त्र धारण करते थे। कोई-कोई चमड़ेका ही वस्त्र पहनते थे
nānāveṣadharāś caiva nānāmālyānulepanāḥ | nānāvāstradharāś caiva carmavāsasa eva ca ||
नानावेषधराश्चैव नानामाल्यानुलेपनाः। नानावस्त्रधराश्चैव चर्मवासस एव च॥
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how outward appearance—dress, adornment, and even ascetic hide-clothing—can differ greatly within a single assembly. It implicitly cautions that ethical worth and intent are not reliably judged by external markers, a relevant tension in the war narrative where inner resolve and dharma are tested.
The narrator describes a crowd or gathering characterized by diverse costumes and adornments: some wear garlands and perfumes, others different garments, and some are clad in hides. It functions as a vivid scene-setting detail within the Shalya Parva’s unfolding events.