Varaha Purana 25.38: Adhyaya 25, Shloka 38
The Birth of Ahaṅkāra as Guha/Skanda and His Appointment as Divine Commander
श्रुत्वा वचस्तस्य महानुभावो महादेवो वाक्यमिदं जगाद । ददामि ते क्रीडनकं तु कुक्कुटं तथानुगौ शाखविशाखसंज्ञौ । कुमार भूतग्रहणायको भवान् भवस्व देवेश्वर सेनयापतिः ॥ २५.३८ ॥
śrutvā vacas tasya mahānubhāvo mahādevo vākyam idaṃ jagāda | dadāmi te krīḍanakaṃ tu kukkuṭaṃ tathānugau śākhaviśākhasaṃjñau | kumāra bhūtagrahaṇāyako bhavān bhavasva deveśvara senayāpatiḥ || 25.38 ||
Setelah mendengar kata-katanya, Mahādeva yang berhati agung bersabda: “Aku mengurniakan kepadamu sebuah permainan—seekor ayam jantan—serta dua pengiring bernama Śākha dan Viśākha. Wahai Kumāra, jadilah engkau pemimpin bala bhūta dan panglima tentera bagi Tuhan para dewa.”
Mahādeva (Śiva)
FAQs
It reflects a Purāṇic pattern of legitimizing divine and royal offices through narrative appointment—here, Kumāra/Skanda is formally invested with military command (senāpati) and leadership over attendant hosts (bhūtas), illustrating how authority is framed through mythic dialogue.
No geographic toponym appears in this verse; the content is role-bestowal within a mythic setting rather than a sacred-geography notice.
The verse foregrounds the principle of delegated responsibility: authority (leadership and command) is conferred in relation to service—organizing forces and maintaining order—rather than as a purely personal privilege.
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