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, d’une vitesse prodigieuse, d’un seul coup de paume réduisit en cendres, au combat, un éléphant avec son cavalier ; et de même un char avec son aurige.

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.