Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 55
Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha
खड्गचर्मधरो वीरः पुष्पदन्तो गणेश्वरः द्विधा त्रिधा च बहुधा चक्रे दैतेयदानवान्
khaḍgacarmadharo vīraḥ puṣpadanto gaṇeśvaraḥ dvidhā tridhā ca bahudhā cakre daiteyadānavān
Puṣpadanta, tuan Gaṇa yang gagah, memegang pedang dan perisai, membelah kaum Daitya dan Dānava menjadi dua, menjadi tiga, dan menjadi banyak bahagian.
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FAQs
Puṣpadanta is a named Gaṇa (Śiva’s attendant/commander) in battle narratives; the term gaṇeśvara here means “lord among the Gaṇas,” not necessarily the deity Gaṇeśa (Vināyaka).
Purāṇic diction often pairs these two Asura lineages to denote the full spectrum of demonic forces opposing the gods; it functions as a comprehensive collective rather than a strict genealogical distinction in every passage.
It is a conventional epic hyperbole signaling overwhelming divine superiority and the rout of the Asura host; it also highlights the Gaṇas as an extension of Śiva’s irresistible power in the Andhaka episode.