Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 50
Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha
तेषां पुरस्सरः स्थाणुः प्रगृह्य परिघं बली निषूदयत् परबलं क्रुद्धो रुद्रः पशूनिव
teṣāṃ purassaraḥ sthāṇuḥ pragṛhya parighaṃ balī niṣūdayat parabalaṃ kruddho rudraḥ paśūniva
À leur tête se tenait Sthāṇu ; le puissant, saisissant une massue de fer (parigha), anéantit l’armée ennemie—Rudra, dans sa colère, les abattait comme de simples bêtes.
{ "primaryRasa": "raudra", "secondaryRasa": "vira", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
‘Sthāṇu’ (‘immovable, steadfast’) marks Śiva as the unshakable cosmic principle who nonetheless manifests dynamic ferocity in battle. The juxtaposition—immovable essence, overwhelming action—fits Purāṇic Śaiva theology.
In narrative terms it conveys ease and dominance: Rudra dispatches the hostile host effortlessly. In Śaiva conceptual language, ‘paśu’ can also imply bound beings; Rudra’s force subdues those driven by ignorance and aggression.
No. Despite the Purāṇa’s strong geographical orientation elsewhere, 32.50 is a battle-description without named rivers, tīrthas, or regions.