Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 72

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

तमापतन्तं महिषं सुचक्राक्षो निरीक्ष्य हि चक्रमुद्यम्य संक्रुद्धो रुरोध दनुनन्दनम्

Transliteration

tamāpatantaṃ mahiṣaṃ sucakrākṣo nirīkṣya hi cakramudyamya saṃkruddho rurodha danunandanam

Translation

Seeing Mahiṣa rushing in, Sucakrākṣa—he whose eye was like a splendid discus—raised his discus in anger and checked the son of Danu.

Speakers

• Narrator describing the intervention against the charging Asura (exact interlocutors not specified in input).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (implied by cakra/epithet)
• Shiva (battle milieu)
• Skanda (as target of charge in prior verse)

Key Themes

• Divine intervention
• Cakra as decisive weapon
• Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava convergence in battle narrative
• Checking Asuric advance

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is ‘Sucakrākṣa’ in this verse?

The epithet literally means ‘one whose eye is a splendid discus’ and, together with the explicit raising of the cakra, strongly points to a Viṣṇu-identified figure or a Viṣṇu-aligned manifestation within the battle narrative. Precise identification (Viṣṇu himself vs. a named ally) depends on surrounding verses not provided here.

Why is a Viṣṇu-marked weapon (cakra) appearing in a Śaiva battle setting?

Many Purāṇas portray coordinated divine action: Śiva’s hosts (gaṇas, Mātṛs, Skanda) and Viṣṇu’s power can converge against Asuras. This supports a theological theme of functional unity among deities when cosmic order (dharma) is threatened.

What does ‘rurodha’ imply about the action—killing or restraining?

Rurodha primarily means ‘stopped/blocked/checked.’ The verse emphasizes halting the Asura’s charge at this moment; whether it leads to wounding or death is typically narrated in subsequent lines.