Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 47

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

अनाख्यायैव ते वीरास्त्वन्धकं महिषादयः स्वपरिग्रहसंयुक्ता भूमिं युद्धाय निर्ययुः

Transliteration

anākhyāyaiva te vīrāstvandhakaṃ mahiṣādayaḥ svaparigrahasaṃyuktā bhūmiṃ yuddhāya niryayuḥ

Translation

Ohne Andhaka auch nur zu benachrichtigen, zogen jene Helden — Mahiṣa und die anderen — mit ihren eigenen Gefolgschaften und ihrer Ausrüstung über das Land zum Kampf aus.

Speakers

• Unspecified narrator voice in the excerpt (purāṇic narration describing Daitya actions).

Key Themes

• Strategic secrecy
• Daitya mobilization
• War-preparations and retinues

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Andhaka not informed—what does this suggest about the plot?

The phrase ‘anākhyāyaiva … andhakam’ signals either urgency, internal strategy, or a deliberate bypassing of Andhaka’s authority—often a narrative device to foreshadow complications, miscoordination, or independent initiatives among Daityas.

What does ‘svaparigrahasaṃyuktāḥ’ convey in a military setting?

It indicates they did not go alone: they marched with their own resources—followers, weapons, supplies, and logistical support—marking a full-scale expedition rather than a mere scouting party.

Is ‘bhūmiṃ’ a geographical marker here?

Only in a broad sense. Unlike tīrtha-passages that name rivers and sites, ‘bhūmiṃ’ here functions as a narrative backdrop (‘across the land’) without specifying sacred geography.