Vamana Purana — Birth of Skanda (Kartikeya), Shloka 86

The Birth and Consecration of Skanda (Kartikeya) at Kurukshetra

Devanagari script

हंसास्यं कुण्डजठरं बहुग्रीवं हयाननम् कूर्मग्रीवं च पञ्चैतान् ददुः पुत्राय कृत्तिकाः

Transliteration

haṃsāsyaṃ kuṇḍajaṭharaṃ bahugrīvaṃ hayānanam kūrmagrīvaṃ ca pañcaitān daduḥ putrāya kṛttikāḥ

Translation

The Kṛttikās bestowed upon their son five (forms/epithets): “Hamsa-faced,” “Pot-bellied,” “Many-necked,” “Horse-faced,” and “Tortoise-necked.”

Word by Word

• हंसास्यम्: swan-faced
• हंसास्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हंस-आस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय (हंसवत् आस्यम् यस्य)

• कुण्डजठरम्: pot-bellied / having a pot-like belly
• कुण्डजठरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुण्ड-जठर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कुण्डवत् जठरम् यस्य)

• बहुग्रीवम्: many-necked
• बहुग्रीवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु-ग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहि (बह्व्यः ग्रीवाः यस्य)

• हयाननम्: horse-faced
• हयाननम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हय-आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय (हयवत् आननम् यस्य)

• कूर्मग्रीवम्: tortoise-necked
• कूर्मग्रीवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कूर्म-ग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय (कूर्मवत् ग्रीवा यस्य)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः; एतान् इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (numeral adjective)

• एतान्: these
• एतान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• ददुः: gave
• ददुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुत्राय: to (their) son
• पुत्राय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• कृत्तिकाः: the Kṛttikās (Pleiades)
• कृत्तिकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्तिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन

Speakers

• Narratorial voice within the Purāṇic dialogue (exact interlocutors not specified in the excerpt) describing the Kṛttikās’ bestowal to Skanda.

Primary Deities

• Skanda (Kārttikeya)
• Kṛttikās

Key Themes

• Skanda’s multi-formed nature
• Mythic physiognomy and epithets
• Maternal bestowal (Kṛttikās as foster-mothers)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Are these ‘faces/necks’ to be read literally or as symbolic epithets?

Purāṇic lists often function as onomastic theology: they can be read as literal mythic forms (rūpa-bheda) and also as symbolic markers of Skanda’s superhuman, protean nature. The text’s grammar (“daduḥ… pañcaitān”) supports ‘bestowed designations/forms’ rather than a single fixed anatomy.

Why do the Kṛttikās ‘give’ these forms to Skanda?

In Skanda traditions, the Kṛttikās are foster-mothers who nurture and ‘name’ the child. Naming/attributing forms is a way of establishing divine identity, powers, and cultic remembrance (stotra/namāvali usage).

Does this verse contain any tīrtha or geographic marker typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

Not in this śloka. It is a mythic-catalogue verse; geographic anchoring, if present in the chapter, would occur in surrounding passages rather than here.