Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 79
Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha
गदया मूर्ध्नि बाणं हि निजघान महाबलः वेदनार्त्तो मुमोचाथ सुचक्राक्षं महासुरः स चापि तेन संयुक्तो व्रीडायुक्तो महामनाः
gadayā mūrdhni bāṇaṃ hi nijaghāna mahābalaḥ vedanārtto mumocātha sucakrākṣaṃ mahāsuraḥ sa cāpi tena saṃyukto vrīḍāyukto mahāmanāḥ
ثم ضرب الجبّار بانا على رأسه بهراوة. فإذ عُذِّب بالألم أطلق ذلك الأسورا العظيم—ذو العينين كالعجلات المصوغة بإتقان—صرخةً مدوّية. وهو أيضًا، وقد ناله هذا الهجوم، مع سموّ همّته، امتلأ خجلًا وحياءً.
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FAQs
The name ‘Bāṇa’ can denote different Asura figures across Purāṇic corpora. In this local battle narration, it functions as a combatant among the Daityas/Asuras; identification with the well-known Bāṇāsura (son of Bali in some traditions) is possible but not guaranteed without surrounding verses specifying lineage and setting.
Literally ‘having beautiful/well-formed wheel-like eyes,’ it is a poetic marker of fierce brilliance and intimidating gaze. Such epithets often signal a warrior’s terrifying presence rather than a literal anatomical description.
Purāṇic battle descriptions frequently pair physical injury with moral-psychological states. ‘Vrīḍā’ here underscores loss of face and the warrior’s diminished standing, foreshadowing withdrawal or tactical retreat.