Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 109

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

एवं ब्रुवन्तं क्रौञ्चं स क्रोधात्प्रस्फुरिताधरः बिभेद शक्त्या कौटिल्यो महिषेण समं तदा

Transliteration

evaṃ bruvantaṃ krauñcaṃ sa krodhātprasphuritādharaḥ bibheda śaktyā kauṭilyo mahiṣeṇa samaṃ tadā

Translation

Alors que Krauñca parlait ainsi, Kauṭilya — la lèvre inférieure tremblant de colère — le frappa alors d'une lance, le brisant ainsi que sa monture de buffle.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण), indeclinable (अव्यय)

• ब्रुवन्तम्: speaking
• ब्रुवन्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (ब्रू धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), accusative (द्वितीया) singular (एकवचन)

• क्रौञ्चम्: Krauñca
• क्रौञ्चम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krauñca (क्रौञ्च प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), accusative (द्वितीया) singular (एकवचन)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), nominative (प्रथमा) singular (एकवचन)

• क्रोधात्: from anger / out of anger
• क्रोधात्: Hetu (हेतु/कारण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krodha (क्रोध प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), ablative (पञ्चमी) singular (एकवचन)

• प्रस्फुरिताधरः: with quivering lips
• प्रस्फुरिताधरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prasphurita-adhara (प्रस्फुरित + अधर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), nominative (प्रथमा) singular (एकवचन); compound: प्रस्फुरितः अधरः यस्य (‘whose lip was quivering’)

• बिभेद: split / pierced
• बिभेद: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhid (भिद् धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष) singular (एकवचन), parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• शक्त्या: with a spear
• शक्त्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (शक्ति प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), instrumental (तृतीया) singular (एकवचन)

• कौटिल्यः: Kauṭilya (name)
• कौटिल्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kauṭilya (कौटिल्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), nominative (प्रथमा) singular (एकवचन)

• महिषेण: with a buffalo / like a buffalo
• महिषेण: Sahakari (सहकारी/सह-करण; comparison instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahiṣa (महिष प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), instrumental (तृतीया) singular (एकवचन)

• समम्: together / equally
• समम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sama (सम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) ‘equally/together’; indeclinable usage (अव्ययवत्)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Temporal adverb (कालवाचक-अव्यय)

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic voice) describing the battle to the listening sage(s) (contextual frame not explicit in the excerpt).

Primary Deities

• Shiva

Key Themes

• Battle narrative
• Wrath (krodha) as a motivator in war
• Heroic violence in Purāṇic itihāsa

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who are Krauñca and Kauṭilya in this passage?

They function as named combatants within the Andhaka-related war cycle. The verse is not about the famous Kauṭilya of political literature; it is a distinct Purāṇic character-name used in a martial roster.

What does ‘together with his buffalo’ imply?

It indicates Krauñca is associated with a buffalo as his mount/vehicle (vāhana-like usage in battle description). The spear-blow is portrayed as so forceful that it destroys both rider and mount.

Is there any tīrtha or geographic marker here?

No. This śloka is purely narrative-combative and contains no rivers, lakes, forests, or pilgrimage sites.