Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 16
Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha
स्वस्ति ते शङ्करो भक्त्या सपत्नीको वृषध्वजः पावकः स्वस्ति तुभ्यं च करोतु शिखिवाहन
svasti te śaṅkaro bhaktyā sapatnīko vṛṣadhvajaḥ pāvakaḥ svasti tubhyaṃ ca karotu śikhivāhana
Que Śaṅkara —concediendo gracia por devoción, acompañado de su consorte y con el toro por emblema— te otorgue bienestar. Y que Pāvaka (Agni) también te conceda bienestar, oh el que cabalga el pavo real.
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FAQs
Purāṇic benedictions often invoke deities in their complete, auspicious forms. Śiva with Umā signifies fullness (śrī), stability, and household auspiciousness, aligning with welfare-blessings rather than ascetic severity.
‘Śikhivāhana’ is a standard epithet of Skanda/Kārttikeya, whose vāhana is the peacock (śikhin). The verse separately names Pāvaka (Agni), so the final vocative most naturally addresses Skanda as an additional bestower of svasti.
Agni is the purifier and the carrier of offerings; invoking him in a maṅgala sequence ritually frames the blessing as sanctified, as if supported by sacrificial purity and divine witness.