Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha
गणा गुहवचः श्रुत्वा अवतीर्य महीतलम् आरात् पतन्तस्तद्देशं नादं चक्रुर्भयङ्करम्
gaṇā guhavacaḥ śrutvā avatīrya mahītalam ārāt patantastaddeśaṃ nādaṃ cakrurbhayaṅkaram
グハ(スカンダ)の言葉を聞くや、ガナたちは地上へ降り立った。近くからその地へ急降下し、恐るべき咆哮を轟かせた。
{ "primaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
Guha is a common epithet of Skanda/Kārttikeya. It can mean ‘hidden’ or ‘dwelling in caves/mountains,’ resonating with his martial, liminal character and his association with mountainous terrains in wider tradition.
In Purāṇic battle scenes, sound functions as both omen and weapon: it signals the arrival of divine forces, destabilizes enemies psychologically, and marks the transition into open combat.
It primarily conveys tactic and immediacy—‘swooping down at close range’—rather than naming a site. The text here is focused on kinetic action, not on tirtha-identification.