Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 30

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

गणा गुहवचः श्रुत्वा अवतीर्य महीतलम् आरात् पतन्तस्तद्देशं नादं चक्रुर्भयङ्करम्

Transliteration

gaṇā guhavacaḥ śrutvā avatīrya mahītalam ārāt patantastaddeśaṃ nādaṃ cakrurbhayaṅkaram

Translation

Nachdem sie die Worte Guhas (Skandas) vernommen hatten, stiegen die Gaṇas zur Erde herab; aus der Nähe stürzten sie sich auf jene Gegend und erhoben ein furchterregendes Dröhnen.

Word by Word

• gaṇāḥ: the groups/troops
• gaṇāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative/1st), Bahuvacana (Plural)

• guha-vacaḥ: the words of Guha
• guha-vacaḥ: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guha (प्रातिपदिक) + vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana (Singular); Ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (genitive determinative): ‘of Guha’

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: Ktvā-pratyaya (Absolutive/Gerund), Pūrvakāla-kriyā (prior action): ‘having heard’

• avatīrya: having descended
• avatīrya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-√tṝ (धातु)
• Form: Ktvā-pratyaya (Absolutive/Gerund) from ava+√tṝ ‘to descend’: ‘having descended’

• mahī-talam: the earth’s surface/ground
• mahī-talam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक) + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana (Singular); Tatpuruṣa: ‘surface of the earth’

• ārāt: from nearby
• ārāt: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ārāt (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (indeclinable), Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण): ‘from near/nearby’

• patantaḥ: falling
• patantaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pat (धातु)
• Form: Vartamāna-kṛdanta (Present active participle/शतृ), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nom/1st), Bahuvacana: ‘falling’

• tat-deśam: that place/region
• tat-deśam: Karma (कर्म/Object/goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana; Karmadhāraya: ‘that place’

• nādam: a sound/roar
• nādam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana

• cakruḥ: they made/produced
• cakruḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (Imperfect/Past), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Bahuvacana (Plural)

• bhayaṅkaram: terrifying
• bhayaṅkaram: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्मविशेषण/Adjectival to object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhayaṅkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana; agrees with ‘nādam’

Speakers

• Narrator voice describing the Gaṇas’ response to Skanda’s command.

Primary Deities

• Skanda (Guha/Kārttikeya)
• Gaṇas (Śiva’s attendants)

Key Themes

• Obedience to divine command
• Aerial descent imagery
• Sound as a weapon/omen (nāda)
• Terror and psychological warfare

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why is Skanda called ‘Guha’ here?

Guha is a common epithet of Skanda/Kārttikeya. It can mean ‘hidden’ or ‘dwelling in caves/mountains,’ resonating with his martial, liminal character and his association with mountainous terrains in wider tradition.

What is the narrative function of the ‘terrifying roar’ (bhayaṅkara nāda)?

In Purāṇic battle scenes, sound functions as both omen and weapon: it signals the arrival of divine forces, destabilizes enemies psychologically, and marks the transition into open combat.

Does ‘ārāt patantaḥ’ imply a specific location or tactic?

It primarily conveys tactic and immediacy—‘swooping down at close range’—rather than naming a site. The text here is focused on kinetic action, not on tirtha-identification.