Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 36

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

स बाणविद्धो व्यथितः कम्पमानो मुहुर्मुहुः अब्रवीद् वचनं दीनं समभ्येत्यान्धकासुरम्

Transliteration

sa bāṇaviddho vyathitaḥ kampamāno muhurmuhuḥ abravīd vacanaṃ dīnaṃ samabhyetyāndhakāsuram

Translation

Dia, ditembusi anak panah dan menanggung sakit, menggigil berulang kali; lalu mendekati Andhaka Asura dan mengucapkan kata-kata rayuan yang memilukan.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (pronoun)

• बाण-विद्धः: pierced by an arrow
• बाण-विद्धः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाण + विद्ध (प्रातिपदिक; √व्यध्/विध् धातु-जन्य)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘विद्ध’ (pierced); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः ‘बाणेन विद्धः’

• व्यथितः: distressed
• व्यथितः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यथ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘afflicted/pained’

• कम्पमानः: trembling
• कम्पमानः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कम्प् (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present middle participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘trembling’

• मुहुः: again and again
• मुहुः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• मुहुः: repeatedly
• मुहुः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for emphasis)

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-भूतकाल (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• वचनम्: words; a statement
• वचनम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दीनम्: pitiful
• दीनम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — वचनस्य विशेषणम्

• समभ्येत्य: having approached
• समभ्येत्य: पूर्वकालक्रिया (Pūrvakāla-kriyā/absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अभि + इ (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) — ‘having approached’

• अन्धकासुरम्: Andhaka the demon
• अन्धकासुरम्: कर्म (Karma/Object—person approached)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धक + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोगः ‘अन्धकः असुरः’ (the demon Andhaka)

Speakers

• Narrator to Nārada; within the story
• Pātālaketu speaks to Andhaka.

Key Themes

• Battle portent: wounded arrival
• Supplication to a Daitya leader
• Imminent escalation of the Andhaka conflict

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does the ‘arrow-pierced’ condition signify in Purāṇic narrative technique?

A wounded entrant commonly functions as a narrative catalyst: it confirms hostile action already underway and compels leaders (here Andhaka and the Dānava chiefs) to respond, shifting from deliberation to mobilization.

Is the attacker identified by the text in this verse?

No. The verse only states he was struck by an arrow (bāṇaviddhaḥ). Identification of the archer—deity, gaṇa, or rival Asura—must be drawn from adjacent verses or the broader Andhaka episode.

Is any tīrtha or terrestrial sacred site mentioned here?

No explicit sacred geography appears in this śloka; the geographic markers in this passage occur primarily via the netherworld terms (e.g., Rasātala) in the surrounding verses.