Shloka 31

Duryodhana Seized by Citraseṇa; Kaurava Petition to Yudhiṣṭhira (दुर्योधनापहारः / चित्रसेनगन्धर्वग्रहणम्)

Devanagari script

कुमाराश्च कुमार्यश्न ये प्रोक्ता: स्कन्दसम्भवा: । तेडपि गर्भभुज: सर्वे कौरव्य सुमहाग्रहा:,कुरुनन्दन! स्कन्दके शरीरसे उत्पन्न हुए जिन कुमार एवं कुमारियोंका वर्णन किया गया है, वे सभी गर्भस्थ बालकोंका भक्षण करनेवाले महान्‌ ग्रह हैं

Transliteration

kumārāś ca kumāryaś ca ye proktāḥ skanda-sambhavāḥ | te 'pi garbha-bhujaḥ sarve kauravya su-mahā-grahāḥ ||

Translation

మార్కండేయుడు పలికెను—ఓ కౌరవ్య! స్కందుని నుండి జన్మించారని చెప్పబడిన ఆ కుమారులు, కుమార్తెలు—వారందరూ గర్భస్థ శిశువులను భక్షించే మహాగ్రహాలు.

Word by Word

कुमाराःboys, youths

चand

कुमार्यःgirls, maidens

येwho, which

प्रोक्ताःsaid, described

स्कन्दसम्भवाःborn of Skanda

तेthey, those

अपिalso, even

गर्भभुजःeaters of embryos (womb-dwellers)

सर्वेall

कौरव्यO descendant of Kuru

सुमहाग्रहाःvery great grahas (seizing spirits)

कुरुनन्दनO joy of the Kurus

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda

Kauravya (Kuru-descendant addressee)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames certain ‘Skanda-born’ beings as dangerous grahas that harm the unborn, underscoring a dharmic duty to protect life at its most vulnerable and to respond to unseen harms through vigilance and proper, righteous observances.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya continues a description of Skanda-associated beings, identifying the previously mentioned boys and girls as powerful grahas—malevolent afflictors—whose specific activity is consuming embryos in the womb.