Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha Shloka 67 - Vamana Purana | English | Vedapath

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Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 67

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

श्रुतायुधस्तु गदया विशोको मुसलेन तु बन्धुदत्तस्तु शूलेन मूर्ध्नि दैत्यमताडयत्

Transliteration

śrutāyudhastu gadayā viśoko musalena tu bandhudattastu śūlena mūrdhni daityamatāḍayat

Translation

Śrutāyudha struck the Daitya on the head with a mace; Viśoka struck with a pestle; and Bandhudatta struck with a trident, smiting the demon’s head.

Word by Word

श्रुतायुधःŚrutāyudha (proper name)

तुand/indeed

गदयाwith a mace

विशोकःViśoka (proper name)

मुसलेनwith a pestle/club

तुand/indeed

बन्धुदत्तःBandhudatta (proper name)

तुand/indeed

शूलेनwith a spear

मूर्ध्निon the head

दैत्यम्the Daitya (demon)

अताडयत्struck

Speakers

Primary narrator (Purāṇic sūta/narrator voice) describing the battle to the listening sage(s) (frame not explicit in the excerpt).

Primary Deities

Shiva

Key Themes

Andhaka Vadha cycleDeva–Asura conflictPārṣada warfareIconography of weapons (gādā, musala, śūla)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who are Śrutāyudha, Viśoka, and Bandhudatta in this context?

They are presented as named combatants on the divine side (often counted among Śiva’s attendants/pārṣadas or allied warriors) participating in the Andhaka war episode; the verse functions as a roll-call of blows in the melee rather than a genealogical introduction.

Why does the verse emphasize different weapons (mace, pestle, trident)?

Purāṇic battle narration commonly differentiates fighters by signature weapons; here it also marks a Śaiva atmosphere through the prominence of the śūla (trident), a weapon strongly associated with Śiva and his retinue.

Does this verse contain any tīrtha or geographical data typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

No. Despite the Vāmana Purāṇa’s strong geographical/tīrtha orientation in many sections, this particular śloka is purely martial description without place-names.