Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 60

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

गिरिभेदी तलेनैव सारोहं कुञ्जरं रणे भस्म चक्रे महावेगो रथं च रथिना सह

Transliteration

giribhedī talenaiva sārohaṃ kuñjaraṃ raṇe bhasma cakre mahāvego rathaṃ ca rathinā saha

Translation

Giribhedī, de gran rapidez, con un solo golpe de la palma redujo a cenizas en la batalla a un elefante con su jinete; y del mismo modo, a un carro de guerra junto con su auriga.

Word by Word

• गिरिभेदी: the mountain-splitter (one who splits mountains)
• गिरिभेदी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि + भेदिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (गिरिं भेदयति इति)

• तलेन: with the palm/flat of the hand
• तलेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• स-आरोहम्: with its rider
• स-आरोहम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + आरोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (आरोहेण सह)

• कुञ्जरम्: elephant
• कुञ्जरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुञ्जर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• भस्म: to ashes
• भस्म: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (result-state object)

• चक्रे: made/turned (into)
• चक्रे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महावेगः: of great speed/impetus
• महावेगः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः

• रथम्: chariot
• रथम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• रथिना: with the charioteer/warrior
• रथिना: Sahartha (सहार्थ/with)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahartha (सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्यय (postposition/adverb: 'together with')

Speakers

• Narrator continuing the sequence of gaṇa feats in the Andhaka-vadha battle.

Primary Deities

• Shiva (implied)

Key Themes

• Andhaka Vadha cycle
• Superhuman strength of gaṇas
• Battlefield annihilation imagery (bhasma)
• Protection of cosmic order through Śaiva forces

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

How should ‘talenaiva’ be understood—weapon or bare hand?

‘Tala’ is the palm of the hand; ‘talenaiva’ stresses that no external weapon was needed. This is a common Purāṇic trope to mark beings as superhuman (ati-mānuṣa) and divinely empowered.

Does ‘bhasma cakre’ imply literal burning or poetic hyperbole?

In Purāṇic battle style it can be both: a literal incineration is consistent with Śaiva imagery (bhasma/ashes as Śiva’s sign), while also functioning as hyperbole for total destruction—enemy and vehicle erased.

Why mention both elephant-with-rider and chariot-with-charioteer?

It signals comprehensive dominance over the two premier battlefield platforms (gaja and ratha). By pairing each vehicle with its operator (sāroha, rathinā saha), the verse emphasizes complete neutralization of martial capacity.