Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha Shloka 62 - Vamana Purana | French | Vedapath

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Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 62

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

कूर्मग्रीवो ग्रीवयैव शिरमा चरणेन च लुण्ठनेन तता दैत्यान् निजघान सवाहनान्

Transliteration

kūrmagrīvo grīvayaiva śiramā caraṇena ca luṇṭhanena tatā daityān nijaghāna savāhanān

Translation

Kūrmagrīva abattit les Daityas avec son propre cou, avec la tête, avec les pieds, et aussi en se roulant sur eux ; ainsi il tua les Daityas avec leurs montures.

Word by Word

कूर्म-ग्रीवःhe whose neck is like a tortoise’s (Kūrmagrīva)

ग्रीवयाwith the neck

एवindeed/just

शिरमाwith the head

चरणेनwith the foot

चand

लुण्ठनेनby rolling/tumbling

तताthen/thereupon

दैत्यान्Daityas (demons)

निजघानslew/struck down

स-वाहनान्together with their mounts/vehicles

Speakers

Narrator addressing a sage (mune implied from surrounding context) in the Andhaka-vadha battle account

Primary Deities

Shiva

Key Themes

Andhaka-vadha cycleClose-quarters combat motifsDefeat of Daityas and their mountsEpic-style physical hyperbole

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why are neck and head listed as weapons?

Purāṇic battle narration often amplifies heroic strength by depicting the body itself as weaponry. ‘Neck’ and ‘head’ imply ramming, butting, and crushing—forms of grappling combat that contrast with bow-and-arrow warfare.

What is the significance of ‘sa-vāhanān’?

It intensifies the victory: the enemy is not merely defeated individually, but their supporting mobility—mounts/vehicles—is also destroyed, indicating a rout and total disabling of the opposing force.

Is Kūrmagrīva an avatar or deity?

No avatar is indicated here. Kūrmagrīva functions as a named fighter within the narrative; the epithet (‘tortoise-necked’) is descriptive rather than theological.