Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 53

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

दण्डकश्चापि संक्रुद्धः प्रासपाणिर्महासुरम् सवाहनं प्रक्षिपति समुत्पाट्य महार्मवे

Transliteration

daṇḍakaścāpi saṃkruddhaḥ prāsapāṇirmahāsuram savāhanaṃ prakṣipati samutpāṭya mahārmave

Translation

Daṇḍaka too, enraged and holding a spear in his hand, uprooted the great asura and cast him—together with his mount—into the great ocean.

Word by Word

• दण्डकः: Daṇḍaka (name)
• दण्डकः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्डक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (also/indeed)

• संक्रुद्धः: enraged
• संक्रुद्धः: विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + √क्रुध् (धातु) → संक्रुद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• प्रास-पाणिः: spear-handed
• प्रास-पाणिः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रास (प्रातिपदिक) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (one who has a spear in hand / spear-handed)

• महासुरम्: a great demon
• महासुरम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• स-वाहनम्: together with (his) mount/vehicle
• स-वाहनम्: विशेषण (Qualifier of ‘mahāsuram’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय) + वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव (‘with vehicle/mount’)

• प्रक्षिपति: he hurls, throws
• प्रक्षिपति: क्रिया (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• समुत्पाट्य: having uprooted
• समुत्पाट्य: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उत् + √पाट्/√पट् (धातु, ‘to tear up’)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), ‘having uprooted/torn up’

• महा-अर्मवे: into/in the great sea/flood
• महा-अर्मवे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्मव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; कर्मधारय; (अर्मव = great flood/sea, rare)

Speakers

• Narrator (paurāṇika voice) continuing the battle description.

Primary Deities

• Shiva

Key Themes

• Andhaka-vadha
• Battle narrative
• Cosmic-scale violence
• Ocean as disposal/abyss motif

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does ‘mahārṇava’ signify here—an actual sea or a mythic cosmic ocean?

Mahārṇava can denote the terrestrial ocean in epic-purāṇic idiom, but in battle hyperbole it also evokes the vast, abyss-like cosmic sea. The verse does not specify a named ocean (e.g., Lavaṇa), so it remains a generic ‘great ocean’ image.

Why mention ‘sa-vāhana’ (with his mount)?

It intensifies the depiction of defeat: the asura’s status and mobility (his vāhana) are nullified together. In purāṇic warfare, stripping an enemy of chariot/elephant/horse/mount symbolizes complete rout and humiliation.

Is Daṇḍaka the same as the Daṇḍaka forest (Daṇḍakāraṇya)?

No. Here Daṇḍaka is a proper name of a combatant. The verse provides no forest marker (araṇya/kāṇḍa) and no geographic qualifiers; therefore it should not be conflated with Daṇḍakāraṇya.