Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 101

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

शक्रः प्राहाथ बलवान् ज्ञायते कृत्तिकासुत प्रदक्षिणं शीघ्रतरं यः कुर्यात् क्रौञ्चमेव हि

Transliteration

śakraḥ prāhātha balavān jñāyate kṛttikāsuta pradakṣiṇaṃ śīghrataraṃ yaḥ kuryāt krauñcameva hi

Translation

Da sprach Śakra (Indra): „O Sohn der Kṛttikās, der Stärkere wird daran erkannt: Wer die Pradakṣiṇā schneller vollzieht—die Umrundung des Krauñca.“

Word by Word

• śakraḥ: Śakra (Indra)
• śakraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-āh (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• atha: then
• atha: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (then/now)

• balavān: strong
• balavān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate)

• jñāyate: is known/recognized
• jñāyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद

• kṛttikā-suta: O son of the Kṛttikās
• kṛttikā-suta: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛttikā (प्रातिपदिक) + suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘कृत्तिकानां सुतः’

• pradakṣiṇam: circumambulation
• pradakṣiṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pradakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘circumambulation’

• śīghrataram: faster
• śīghrataram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śīghratara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative) ‘faster’

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम (relative)

• kuryāt: should do/make
• kuryāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• krauñcam: Krauñca (mountain)
• krauñcam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krauñca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (पर्वत/पक्षि-नाम)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (only/indeed)

• hi: for/indeed
• hi: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये अव्यय (for/indeed)

Speakers

• Indra (Śakra) to Skanda (Kṛttikā-suta)

Primary Deities

• Indra
• Skanda (Kārttikeya)

Key Themes

• Pradakṣiṇā as a measure of merit and prowess
• Speed as a proxy for strength
• Mythic sacralization of landscape (Krauñca)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why is pradakṣiṇā used as the test instead of direct combat?

Purāṇic contests often convert rivalry into a dhārmic form: pradakṣiṇā is both a devotional act and a measurable feat. It reframes ‘strength’ as disciplined capability rather than mere violence.

What is Krauñca here—bird or mountain?

In this context it functions as a fixed geographic landmark suitable for circumambulation, i.e., Krauñca as a mountain/region (Krauñca-parvata), well known in Skanda-related mythic geography.

Does the verse imply a sacred status for Krauñca?

Yes. Making Krauñca the axis of pradakṣiṇā implicitly treats it as a sacralized site/landform, aligning physical geography with ritual action—typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa’s landscape-oriented narration.