Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 83
Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha
भगनान् गणान् वीक्ष्य महेश्वरात्मजस्तं तारकं सासिनमापतन्तम् दृष्ट्वैव शक्त्या हृदये बिभेद स भिन्नमर्मा न्यपतत् पृथिव्याम्
bhaganān gaṇān vīkṣya maheśvarātmajastaṃ tārakaṃ sāsinamāpatantam dṛṣṭvaiva śaktyā hṛdaye bibheda sa bhinnamarmā nyapatat pṛthivyām
Voyant les Gaṇa brisés et mis en déroute, le fils de Maheśvara (Skanda), dès qu’il aperçut Tāraka, le porteur d’épée, fondre sur eux, le transperça aussitôt au cœur de sa lance-śakti; ses points vitaux rompus, il s’abattit sur la terre.
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FAQs
In Skanda narratives, “śakti” commonly denotes Skanda’s spear/lance (his signature weapon), not merely abstract power. The verse’s concrete action—piercing the heart—supports the weapon sense.
Marman are anatomically and ritually significant ‘vital spots.’ Saying they are shattered is a stock epic marker of decisive, fatal defeat—indicating not a minor wound but total incapacitation.
It depicts a lethal strike and a fall to earth; however, Purāṇic battle narration sometimes describes a champion’s collapse before later developments. The immediate sense is that Skanda decisively neutralizes Tāraka at this moment.