Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 4

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

शिशुरस्मि न जानामि वक्तुं किञ्चन देवताः दीयतां ब्रह्मणा सार्द्धमनुज्ञ मम साम्प्रतम्

Transliteration

śiśurasmi na jānāmi vaktuṃ kiñcana devatāḥ dīyatāṃ brahmaṇā sārddhamanujña mama sāmpratam

Translation

„Ich bin nur ein Kind; ich weiß nicht, wie ich irgendetwas angemessen aussprechen soll, o ihr Gottheiten. Gewährt mir, zusammen mit Brahmā, eure Erlaubnis—jetzt, in diesem Augenblick.“

Word by Word

• śiśuḥ: a child
• śiśuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiśu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• asmi: I am
• asmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; धातु: अस् (to be)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• jānāmi: I know
• jānāmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; धातु: ज्ञा (to know)

• vaktum: to speak
• vaktum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/infinitival complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), धातु: वच् (to speak)

• kiñcana: anything
• kiñcana: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiñcana (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite pronoun)

• devatāḥ: O deities
• devatāḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• dīyatām: let (it) be given
• dīyatām: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive/impersonal): ‘let it be given’

• brahmaṇā: by Brahmā / with Brahmā (instr.)
• brahmaṇā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• sārddham: together with
• sārddham: Sahārtha (सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sārddham (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अर्थक-अव्यय (adverb/preposition: ‘together with’)

• anujña: permission
• anujña: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anujñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘permission/leave’

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• sāmpratam: now / at present
• sāmpratam: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāmpratam (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speakers

• Kumāra addressing the Devas; implicitly invoking Brahmā’s concurrence

Primary Deities

• Kumāra/Skanda
• Brahmā
• Devas (collective)

Key Themes

• Humility of the divine hero
• Legitimation through anujñā (authorization)
• Brahmā’s supervisory role
• Ritual-ethical framing of warfare

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "karuna", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why does Kumāra call himself a ‘child’ if he is a divine warrior?

Purāṇic narrative often emphasizes Kumāra’s youth (kumāratva) as a theological motif: extraordinary power housed in a youthful form. The humility also models proper conduct—seeking sanction before undertaking a world-altering act.

What is the significance of requesting anujñā ‘together with Brahmā’?

Brahmā functions as a cosmic authority and witness. By invoking Brahmā’s concurrence, the act of battle is framed as aligned with cosmic order (ṛta/dharma) and not as personal impulse.

Is this verse about speech or about permission?

Both. The confession of inadequate speech underscores reverence; the practical request is anujñā. Together they form a conventional devotional posture: humility → request → empowerment.