Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 63
तमासाद्य शरव्रातैर्मुदिताः समवाकिरन् । प्रहसन्निव देवांस्तान्द्रावयामास तारकः
tamāsādya śaravrātairmuditāḥ samavākiran | prahasanniva devāṃstāndrāvayāmāsa tārakaḥ
Reaching him, the gods—delighted—showered him with volleys of arrows. Yet Tāraka, as though laughing, routed those very gods and drove them away.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages
Scene: The devas, momentarily jubilant as arrows rain down, are suddenly scattered; Tāraka stands tall on his chariot, seemingly laughing, his aura overpowering; fleeing devas, broken formation, dust and chaos.
FAQs
Even divine power can be checked when adharma is temporarily ascendant; victory ultimately requires the rise of the divinely-appointed protector (Skanda).
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it belongs to the Kaumārikā narrative cycle focused on Skanda’s cosmic mission.
None; the verse is purely narrative, describing the momentum of the battle.