Birth of Skanda (Kartikeya) Shloka 74 - Vamana Purana | Lao | Vedapath

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Vamana Purana — Birth of Skanda (Kartikeya), Shloka 74

The Birth and Consecration of Skanda (Kartikeya) at Kurukshetra

Devanagari script

सूचीवक्त्रः कोकनदः प्रहासः प्रियको ऽच्युतः गणाः पञ्चदशैते हि यक्षैर्दत्ता गुहस्य तु

Transliteration

sūcīvaktraḥ kokanadaḥ prahāsaḥ priyako 'cyutaḥ gaṇāḥ pañcadaśaite hi yakṣairdattā guhasya tu

Translation

“(ອີກດ້ວຍ:) ສູຈີວັກຕຣະ, ໂກກະນະດະ, ປຣະຫາສະ, ປຣິຍະກະ, ແລະ ອະຈຸຕະ. ຄະນະທັງສິບຫ້ານີ້ ແທ້ຈິງແມ່ນຢັກສະ ໄດ້ປະທານແກ່ ກຸຫະ.”

Word by Word

sūcīvaktraḥSūcīvaktra (needle-faced; name)

kokanadaḥKokanada (name)

prahāsaḥPrahāsa (name)

priyakaḥPriyaka (name)

acyutaḥAcyuta (name)

gaṇāḥgaṇas (attendant groups)

pañcadaśafifteen

etethese

hiindeed

yakṣaiḥby the Yakṣas

dattāḥgiven

guhasyaof Guha (Kārttikeya)

tubut/indeed

Speakers

Narrator voice within the Purāṇic dialogue (exact interlocutors not provided) summarizing the gaṇa count and their yakṣa provenance.

Primary Deities

Skanda (Guha/Kārttikeya)Yakṣas (as a collective class; implicitly Kubera’s sphere)

Key Themes

Skanda’s attendantsYakṣa–Skanda relationshipEnumeration and ritual memory (smaraṇa) of names

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is ‘Acyuta’ (usually Viṣṇu) listed as a gaṇa name?

Purāṇic onomastics frequently reuse major divine epithets as names for subordinate beings. Here ‘Acyuta’ functions as a proper name within Skanda’s gaṇa list, without implying identity with Viṣṇu unless the surrounding text explicitly makes that equation.

What does it mean that the gaṇas were ‘given by the Yakṣas’ to Guha?

It indicates a transfer of allegiance or assignment of attendants—Yakṣa beings (often linked to Kubera and liminal/sacred spaces) are portrayed as contributing to Skanda’s retinue, reflecting syncretic networks of worship and guardianship in tīrtha settings.

Is the number ‘fifteen’ textually important?

Yes. Such fixed counts help ritual recitation and mnemonic preservation. The verse functions like a colophon for the list: it closes the enumeration by stating the total and their origin.