Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 42
Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha
अन्ये चोचुर्वयं नूनं निघ्नामो महिषासुरम् तारकं घातयामो ऽद्य वदन्त्यन्ये सुतैजसः
anye cocurvayaṃ nūnaṃ nighnāmo mahiṣāsuram tārakaṃ ghātayāmo 'dya vadantyanye sutaijasaḥ
മറ്റുള്ളവർ പറഞ്ഞു: ‘ഇപ്പോൾ നിശ്ചയമായും ഞങ്ങൾ മഹിഷാസുരനെ വധിക്കും.’ മറ്റുചിലർ—സ്വതേജസ്സാൽ ദീപ്തരായി—‘ഇന്ന് ഞങ്ങൾ താരകനെ കൊല്ലും’ എന്നു പറഞ്ഞു।
{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
The names match well-known Asura figures across Purāṇic literature (e.g., Mahiṣa as the buffalo-demon; Tāraka as a powerful Asura). However, individual Purāṇas may reframe their roles, chronology, or opponents; confirmation requires the immediate narrative context of Vāmana Purāṇa Adhyāya 32.
Tejas is both spiritual and martial potency. Calling warriors ‘sutaijasaḥ’ portrays them as empowered by inherent brilliance—suggesting divine/ascetic force, heroic charisma, or supernatural vigor rather than mere physical strength.
It depicts a large coalition with distributed aims, heightening the scale of conflict. Literarily, it also foreshadows multiple sub-encounters within the broader battle narrative (separate duels or slayings).