Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 35

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

मन्त्रयत्सु च दैत्येषु भूतलात् सूकराननः पातालकेतुर्दैत्येन्द्रः संप्राप्तो ऽथ रसातलम्

Transliteration

mantrayatsu ca daityeṣu bhūtalāt sūkarānanaḥ pātālaketurdaityendraḥ saṃprāpto 'tha rasātalam

Translation

While the Daityas were deliberating, from the surface of the earth there arrived Pātālaketu, the boar-faced lord of the Daityas, and then he came to Rasātala.

Word by Word

• मन्त्रयत्सु: while (they) were consulting
• मन्त्रयत्सु: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative circumstance)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्त्रय् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-वर्तमानकाल (Present), परस्मैपद; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तरूपेण (present active participle) सप्तमी-बहुवचन (Locative plural) — ‘while (they) were consulting’

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunctive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• दैत्येषु: among the demons
• दैत्येषु: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन (plural)

• भूतलात्: from the earth’s surface
• भूतलात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन (singular) — अपादान (from)

• सूकराननः: the boar-faced one
• सूकराननः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूकर + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘सूकरम् आननं यस्य’ (boar-faced)

• पातालकेतुः: Pātālaketu
• पातालकेतुः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल + केतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘पातालस्य केतुः’ (banner/leader of Pātāla)

• दैत्येन्द्रः: the demon-lord
• दैत्येन्द्रः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘दैत्यानाम् इन्द्रः’ (lord of demons)

• संप्राप्तः: arrived
• संप्राप्तः: क्रिया (Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकाले कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘having arrived’

• अथ: then
• अथ: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), अनुक्रम/आरम्भार्थ (then/now)

• रसातलम्: to Rasātala (netherworld)
• रसातलम्: कर्म (Karma/Object—goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रसातल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — गत्यर्थे कर्म (destination as object)

Speakers

• Narrator addressing Nārada (continuation of the frame).

Key Themes

• Purāṇic cosmography of the lower worlds
• Movement between Bhūtala and Rasātala
• Daitya leadership and mobilization

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is Rasātala in Purāṇic geography?

Rasātala is one of the subterranean realms (adholokas) associated with Asuras/Daityas in Purāṇic cosmology. It functions as a distinct ‘region’ below Bhūtala, often paired with Pātāla as part of the netherworld complex.

Does ‘sūkarānanaḥ’ imply Viṣṇu’s Varāha here?

No. The verse explicitly calls him a Daitya-lord (daityendra). ‘Boar-faced’ is a physiognomic descriptor of this Asura figure, not an avatāra marker.

Why mention ‘from Bhūtala’ if he ends up in Rasātala?

The phrasing highlights inter-realm movement: the narrative tracks the Daitya’s approach from the earth-plane into the netherworld assembly space, emphasizing the cosmographic verticality typical of Purāṇas.