Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 35

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

मन्त्रयत्सु च दैत्येषु भूतलात् सूकराननः पातालकेतुर्दैत्येन्द्रः संप्राप्तो ऽथ रसातलम्

Transliteration

mantrayatsu ca daityeṣu bhūtalāt sūkarānanaḥ pātālaketurdaityendraḥ saṃprāpto 'tha rasātalam

Translation

ダイティヤたちが評議している間に、地上から猪の顔をもつダイティヤの王パーターラケートゥが到来し、ついでラサータラへと赴いた。

Word by Word

• मन्त्रयत्सु: while (they) were consulting
• मन्त्रयत्सु: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative circumstance)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्त्रय् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-वर्तमानकाल (Present), परस्मैपद; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तरूपेण (present active participle) सप्तमी-बहुवचन (Locative plural) — ‘while (they) were consulting’

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunctive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• दैत्येषु: among the demons
• दैत्येषु: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन (plural)

• भूतलात्: from the earth’s surface
• भूतलात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन (singular) — अपादान (from)

• सूकराननः: the boar-faced one
• सूकराननः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूकर + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘सूकरम् आननं यस्य’ (boar-faced)

• पातालकेतुः: Pātālaketu
• पातालकेतुः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल + केतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘पातालस्य केतुः’ (banner/leader of Pātāla)

• दैत्येन्द्रः: the demon-lord
• दैत्येन्द्रः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘दैत्यानाम् इन्द्रः’ (lord of demons)

• संप्राप्तः: arrived
• संप्राप्तः: क्रिया (Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकाले कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘having arrived’

• अथ: then
• अथ: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), अनुक्रम/आरम्भार्थ (then/now)

• रसातलम्: to Rasātala (netherworld)
• रसातलम्: कर्म (Karma/Object—goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रसातल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — गत्यर्थे कर्म (destination as object)

Speakers

• Narrator addressing Nārada (continuation of the frame).

Key Themes

• Purāṇic cosmography of the lower worlds
• Movement between Bhūtala and Rasātala
• Daitya leadership and mobilization

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is Rasātala in Purāṇic geography?

Rasātala is one of the subterranean realms (adholokas) associated with Asuras/Daityas in Purāṇic cosmology. It functions as a distinct ‘region’ below Bhūtala, often paired with Pātāla as part of the netherworld complex.

Does ‘sūkarānanaḥ’ imply Viṣṇu’s Varāha here?

No. The verse explicitly calls him a Daitya-lord (daityendra). ‘Boar-faced’ is a physiognomic descriptor of this Asura figure, not an avatāra marker.

Why mention ‘from Bhūtala’ if he ends up in Rasātala?

The phrasing highlights inter-realm movement: the narrative tracks the Daitya’s approach from the earth-plane into the netherworld assembly space, emphasizing the cosmographic verticality typical of Purāṇas.