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Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 86

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

हत्वा कुमारो रणमुर्ध्नि तारकं प्रगृह्य शक्तिं महता जवेन मयूरमारुह्य शिखण्डमण्डितं ययौ निहन्तुं महिषासुरस्य

Transliteration

hatvā kumāro raṇamurdhni tārakaṃ pragṛhya śaktiṃ mahatā javena mayūramāruhya śikhaṇḍamaṇḍitaṃ yayau nihantuṃ mahiṣāsurasya

Translation

戦の頂においてターラカを討ち果たしたのち、若きクマーラは槍（シャクティ）を取り、甚だ速く、冠羽で飾られた孔雀に乗って、マヒシャースラを滅ぼすために赴いた。

Word by Word
हत्वाhaving killed
हत्वा:
पूर्वकाल (Absolutive; prior action)
TypeVerb
Rootहन् (धातु)
Formक्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having slain’
कुमारःKumāra (Skanda)
कुमारः:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootकुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
रण-मूर्ध्निin the thick/top of battle
रण-मूर्ध्नि:
अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
TypeNoun
Rootरण + मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी) ‘battle-head/top of battle’
तारकम्Tāraka
तारकम्:
कर्म (Karma/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootतारक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
प्रगृह्यhaving taken up
प्रगृह्य:
पूर्वकाल (Absolutive; prior action)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-ग्रह्/गृह् (धातु)
Formक्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having seized/taken up’
शक्तिम्spear/śakti weapon
शक्तिम्:
कर्म (Karma/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootशक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
महताwith great
महता:
करण (Karaṇa/Instrument; manner)
TypeAdjective
Rootमहत् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंस, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (of जवेन)
जवेनspeed
जवेन:
करण (Karaṇa/Instrument; manner)
TypeNoun
Rootजव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन
मयूरम्peacock
मयूरम्:
कर्म (Karma/Object; mount)
TypeNoun
Rootमयूर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
आरुह्यhaving mounted
आरुह्य:
पूर्वकाल (Absolutive; prior action)
TypeVerb
Rootआ-रुह् (धातु)
Formक्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having mounted’
शिखण्ड-मण्डितम्adorned with a crest
शिखण्ड-मण्डितम्:
कर्मविशेषण (Object-qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootशिखण्ड + मण्डित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तृतीया) ‘adorned with a crest/plumes’ (qualifies मयूरम्)
ययौwent
ययौ:
क्रिया (Verb/Action)
TypeVerb
Rootया (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
निहन्तुम्to kill
निहन्तुम्:
प्रयोजन (Purpose)
TypeVerb
Rootनि-हन् (धातु)
Formतुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), ‘to slay’
महिषासुरस्यof Mahiṣāsura
महिषासुरस्य:
सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation; object of infinitive)
TypeNoun
Rootमहिष + असुर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘buffalo-demon’
Speakers
Narrator voice describing Kumāra’s martial movement after Tāraka’s death.
Primary Deities
Skanda (Kumāra)
Key Themes
Divine warfare as dharma-restorationIconography of Skanda (śakti and peacock)Transition from Tāraka episode to Mahiṣa episode
Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Śakti is Skanda’s signature weapon, symbolizing concentrated divine power and decisive martial agency. In many Purāṇic tellings, it marks Skanda as the appointed instrument for removing demonically entrenched obstacles to cosmic order.

The peacock is Skanda’s canonical vāhana. Beyond iconography, it signals mastery over poisonous/chaotic forces (the peacock’s mythic association with subduing serpents/venom), aligning with Skanda’s role as subduer of asuras.

Yes. The verse explicitly links the slaying of Tāraka to the immediate resolve to kill Mahiṣāsura, presenting a sequential campaign motif: once one destabilizing asura is removed, the divine commander turns to the next threat.

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