Vamana Purana — Birth of Skanda (Kartikeya), Shloka 49

The Birth and Consecration of Skanda (Kartikeya) at Kurukshetra

Devanagari script

ददृशुर्बालमत्युग्रं षण्मुखं सूर्यसंनिभम् मुष्णन्तमिव चक्षुंषि तेजसा स्वेन देवताः

Transliteration

dadṛśurbālamatyugraṃ ṣaṇmukhaṃ sūryasaṃnibham muṣṇantamiva cakṣuṃṣi tejasā svena devatāḥ

Translation

The gods beheld a child—exceedingly fierce—Ṣaṇmukha, six-faced and radiant like the sun, whose own splendor seemed, as it were, to steal away their sight.

Word by Word

• ददृशुः: saw
• ददृशुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन

• बालम्: the child
• बालम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• अति-उग्रम्: exceedingly fierce
• अति-उग्रम्: Karma (कर्म; adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय-पूर्वपद) + उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास (अति + उग्र); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'बालम्')

• षण्मुखम्: six-faced (Ṣaṇmukha)
• षण्मुखम्: Karma (कर्म; apposition to 'बालम्')
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण् + मुख (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: द्विगुसमास (numeral compound); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• सूर्यसंनिभम्: resembling the sun
• सूर्यसंनिभम्: Karma (कर्म; adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य + संनिभ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (उपमान-तत्पुरुष: 'sūrya-sannibha' = like the sun); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण

• मुष्णन्तम्: stealing / taking away
• मुष्णन्तम्: Karma (कर्म; participial qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुष् (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying the child)

• इव: as if
• इव: Upamana-marker (उपमान-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा-निपात (particle of comparison)

• चक्षूंषि: eyes
• चक्षूंषि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्षुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन

• तेजसा: by (his) radiance
• तेजसा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन

• स्वेन: by his own
• स्वेन: Karana (करण; qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'तेजसा')

• देवताः: the deities
• देवताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

Speakers

• Narrative voice (sūta-style narration) describing what the Devatās saw

Primary Deities

• Skanda (Ṣaṇmukha/Kārttikeya)
• Devatās (gods)

Key Themes

• Divine epiphany (darśana)
• Tejas (dazzling radiance)
• Deva-kārya (mission for the gods)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Skanda described as a ‘child’ yet ‘exceedingly fierce’ (bālaḥ ati-ugraḥ)?

Purāṇic style often juxtaposes youthful form with overwhelming śakti: Skanda appears as a kumāra (child) while embodying martial, cosmic power suited for deva-kārya (the gods’ task).

What does ‘stealing their sight with his tejas’ signify?

It is a conventional marker of divine presence: the deity’s tejas exceeds ordinary perception, producing a blinding brilliance that indicates transcendence and irresistible potency.

Does this verse imply a specific ritual or tirtha practice?

Not yet; it sets the epiphanic scene. The subsequent verses move from vision (darśana) to action—pilgrimage and abhiṣeka at named tīrthas.