Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha
गदया मूर्ध्नि बाणं हि निजघान महाबलः वेदनार्त्तो मुमोचाथ सुचक्राक्षं महासुरः स चापि तेन संयुक्तो व्रीडायुक्तो महामनाः
gadayā mūrdhni bāṇaṃ hi nijaghāna mahābalaḥ vedanārtto mumocātha sucakrākṣaṃ mahāsuraḥ sa cāpi tena saṃyukto vrīḍāyukto mahāmanāḥ
បន្ទាប់មក អ្នកមានកម្លាំងធំនោះបានវាយបាណលើក្បាលដោយគដា។ ដោយឈឺចាប់ខ្លាំង អសុរាធំនោះ—សុចក្រាក្សៈ—បានបន្លឺសំឡេង។ ហើយគាត់ផងដែរ ពេលត្រូវវាយប្រហារដូច្នោះ ទោះមានចិត្តខ្ពង់ខ្ពស់ ក៏ពោរពេញដោយអាម៉ាស់។
{ "primaryRasa": "raudra", "secondaryRasa": "vira", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
The name ‘Bāṇa’ can denote different Asura figures across Purāṇic corpora. In this local battle narration, it functions as a combatant among the Daityas/Asuras; identification with the well-known Bāṇāsura (son of Bali in some traditions) is possible but not guaranteed without surrounding verses specifying lineage and setting.
Literally ‘having beautiful/well-formed wheel-like eyes,’ it is a poetic marker of fierce brilliance and intimidating gaze. Such epithets often signal a warrior’s terrifying presence rather than a literal anatomical description.
Purāṇic battle descriptions frequently pair physical injury with moral-psychological states. ‘Vrīḍā’ here underscores loss of face and the warrior’s diminished standing, foreshadowing withdrawal or tactical retreat.