Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 70

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

तौ ताड्यमानौ प्रमथैर्मातृभिश्च महासुरौ न क्षोभं जग्मतुर्विरौ क्षोभयन्तौ गणानपि

Transliteration

tau tāḍyamānau pramathairmātṛbhiśca mahāsurau na kṣobhaṃ jagmaturvirau kṣobhayantau gaṇānapi

Translation

Bien qu’ils fussent frappés par les Pramathas et par les Mères (Mātṛs), ces deux grands Asuras, tous deux héroïques, ne furent point ébranlés ; au contraire, ils jetèrent eux-mêmes dans le trouble jusqu’aux Gaṇas.

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller) describing the battle to the listening sage(s) (exact interlocutors not specified in input).

Primary Deities

• Shiva
• Matrikas

Key Themes

• Andhaka/Daitya warfare
• Power of Śiva’s gaṇas
• Fierce goddess (Mātṛ) participation
• Asuric resilience and battlefield momentum

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who are the Pramathas and why are they prominent in Śaiva battle scenes?

Pramathas are Śiva’s fearsome attendants—often depicted as wild, liminal beings—who function as the shock troops of the Śaiva host. In Purāṇic battles they embody Śiva’s disruptive, overwhelming force against Asuras.

What is the role of the Mātṛs (Mātṛkās) here?

The Mātṛs are warrior-goddesses who manifest as protective yet terrifying powers. Their presence signals that the conflict has escalated to a cosmic level where divine feminine energies are mobilized to counter demonic forces.

What does ‘they did not become shaken’ convey in Purāṇic poetics?

It marks the Asuras as formidable antagonists. The narrative heightens tension by showing that even assaults by Śiva’s gaṇas and the Mātṛs fail to destabilize them, setting up the need for a decisive counteraction in subsequent verses.