Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 41
Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha
यावत्पस्यामि तत्रस्थान् नानावेषाकृतीन् नरान् केचिद् गर्जन्ति घनवत् प्रतिगर्जन्ति चापरे
yāvatpasyāmi tatrasthān nānāveṣākṛtīn narān kecid garjanti ghanavat pratigarjanti cāpare
見渡すかぎり、そこにはさまざまな装いと姿の人々が立っている。ある者は雷雲のように咆哮し、またある者はそれに応えて咆哮する。
{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
Literally it says ‘men/people of varied attire and forms.’ In Purāṇic battle contexts this can include disguised warriors, mixed contingents, or even non-human beings described in anthropomorphic terms. The precise identification depends on the chapter’s cast (devas, asuras, gaṇas, etc.).
Ghana evokes thunderclouds; the simile conveys both volume and menace. It also frames the battlefield as a cosmic disturbance, a common Purāṇic aesthetic where nature-imagery amplifies martial intensity.
Indirectly: the reciprocal roaring (pratigarjana) is a formalized challenge motif, akin to announcing prowess before combat. It signals the transition from pursuit/flight to open confrontation.