Vamana Purana — Birth of Skanda (Kartikeya), Shloka 50

The Birth and Consecration of Skanda (Kartikeya) at Kurukshetra

Devanagari script

कौतुकाभिवृताः सर्वे एवमूचुः सुरोत्तमाः देवकार्यं त्वया देव कृतं देव्याग्निना तथा

Transliteration

kautukābhivṛtāḥ sarve evamūcuḥ surottamāḥ devakāryaṃ tvayā deva kṛtaṃ devyāgninā tathā

Translation

{"has_teaching": true, "teaching_type": "dharma", "core_concept": "Divine order through delegated powers (gaṇa-vyavasthā).", "teaching_summary": "The verse frames cosmic governance as structured delegation: deities empower Skanda by assigning named pramathas, implying that victory over adharma requires organized, sanctioned forces rather than mere impulse.", "vedantic_theme": "Īśvara’s līlā expressed as niyati (order) and śakti (empowerment) through appointed agents.", "practical_application": "Value disciplined organization and rightful delegation when confronting disorder; align strength with legitimate purpose."}

Speakers

• Surottamāḥ (the foremost gods) addressing Ṣaṇmukha

Primary Deities

• Skanda (Ṣaṇmukha)
• Devī
• Agni
• Devatās

Key Themes

• Divine cooperation (deva-saṃghāta)
• Wonder (kautuka)
• Completion of cosmic mission
• Śakti (Devī) and Fire (Agni) as enabling powers

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is the ‘Devī’ here, and why is she mentioned alongside Agni?

In Skanda’s mythic complex, the Goddess signifies empowering śakti (often identified broadly with Pārvatī/Durgā or the divine feminine force), while Agni functions as a key divine mediator (fire as carrier of power/seed and as sacrificial potency). The verse credits a triad of agency: the hero-deity, śakti, and fire.

What is meant by ‘deva-kārya’ in Purāṇic narrative idiom?

It denotes a divinely mandated objective—typically restoring cosmic order by overcoming an asuric threat or completing a protective rite—framed as the collective need of the gods.

Is this a stuti (praise) or a report?

It functions as brief stuti-like acknowledgment: the gods publicly affirm the success of the mission and the divine forces involved.