Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 109

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

एवं ब्रुवन्तं क्रौञ्चं स क्रोधात्प्रस्फुरिताधरः बिभेद शक्त्या कौटिल्यो महिषेण समं तदा

Transliteration

evaṃ bruvantaṃ krauñcaṃ sa krodhātprasphuritādharaḥ bibheda śaktyā kauṭilyo mahiṣeṇa samaṃ tadā

Translation

क्रौञ्च असे बोलत असता कौटिल्य क्रोधाने—ओठ थरथरत—शक्तीने त्याला तेव्हा महिषासह भेदून टाकले।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण), indeclinable (अव्यय)

• ब्रुवन्तम्: speaking
• ब्रुवन्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (ब्रू धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), accusative (द्वितीया) singular (एकवचन)

• क्रौञ्चम्: Krauñca
• क्रौञ्चम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krauñca (क्रौञ्च प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), accusative (द्वितीया) singular (एकवचन)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), nominative (प्रथमा) singular (एकवचन)

• क्रोधात्: from anger / out of anger
• क्रोधात्: Hetu (हेतु/कारण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krodha (क्रोध प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), ablative (पञ्चमी) singular (एकवचन)

• प्रस्फुरिताधरः: with quivering lips
• प्रस्फुरिताधरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prasphurita-adhara (प्रस्फुरित + अधर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), nominative (प्रथमा) singular (एकवचन); compound: प्रस्फुरितः अधरः यस्य (‘whose lip was quivering’)

• बिभेद: split / pierced
• बिभेद: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhid (भिद् धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष) singular (एकवचन), parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• शक्त्या: with a spear
• शक्त्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (शक्ति प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), instrumental (तृतीया) singular (एकवचन)

• कौटिल्यः: Kauṭilya (name)
• कौटिल्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kauṭilya (कौटिल्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), nominative (प्रथमा) singular (एकवचन)

• महिषेण: with a buffalo / like a buffalo
• महिषेण: Sahakari (सहकारी/सह-करण; comparison instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahiṣa (महिष प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), instrumental (तृतीया) singular (एकवचन)

• समम्: together / equally
• समम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sama (सम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) ‘equally/together’; indeclinable usage (अव्ययवत्)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Temporal adverb (कालवाचक-अव्यय)

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic voice) describing the battle to the listening sage(s) (contextual frame not explicit in the excerpt).

Primary Deities

• Shiva

Key Themes

• Battle narrative
• Wrath (krodha) as a motivator in war
• Heroic violence in Purāṇic itihāsa

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "raudra", "secondaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Who are Krauñca and Kauṭilya in this passage?

They function as named combatants within the Andhaka-related war cycle. The verse is not about the famous Kauṭilya of political literature; it is a distinct Purāṇic character-name used in a martial roster.

What does ‘together with his buffalo’ imply?

It indicates Krauñca is associated with a buffalo as his mount/vehicle (vāhana-like usage in battle description). The spear-blow is portrayed as so forceful that it destroys both rider and mount.

Is there any tīrtha or geographic marker here?

No. This śloka is purely narrative-combative and contains no rivers, lakes, forests, or pilgrimage sites.