Vamana Purana — Birth of Skanda (Kartikeya), Shloka 86

The Birth and Consecration of Skanda (Kartikeya) at Kurukshetra

Devanagari script

हंसास्यं कुण्डजठरं बहुग्रीवं हयाननम् कूर्मग्रीवं च पञ्चैतान् ददुः पुत्राय कृत्तिकाः

Transliteration

haṃsāsyaṃ kuṇḍajaṭharaṃ bahugrīvaṃ hayānanam kūrmagrīvaṃ ca pañcaitān daduḥ putrāya kṛttikāḥ

Translation

Narrative voice within Pulastya’s discourse (Pulastya to Nārada, as indicated by the chapter colophon in the next verse)

Word by Word

• हंसास्यम्: swan-faced
• हंसास्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हंस-आस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय (हंसवत् आस्यम् यस्य)

• कुण्डजठरम्: pot-bellied / having a pot-like belly
• कुण्डजठरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुण्ड-जठर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कुण्डवत् जठरम् यस्य)

• बहुग्रीवम्: many-necked
• बहुग्रीवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु-ग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहि (बह्व्यः ग्रीवाः यस्य)

• हयाननम्: horse-faced
• हयाननम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हय-आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय (हयवत् आननम् यस्य)

• कूर्मग्रीवम्: tortoise-necked
• कूर्मग्रीवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कूर्म-ग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय (कूर्मवत् ग्रीवा यस्य)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः; एतान् इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (numeral adjective)

• एतान्: these
• एतान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• ददुः: gave
• ददुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुत्राय: to (their) son
• पुत्राय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• कृत्तिकाः: the Kṛttikās (Pleiades)
• कृत्तिकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्तिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन

Speakers

• Narratorial voice within the Purāṇic dialogue (exact interlocutors not specified in the excerpt) describing the Kṛttikās’ bestowal to Skanda.

Primary Deities

• Skanda (Kārttikeya)
• Kṛttikās

Key Themes

• Skanda’s multi-formed nature
• Mythic physiognomy and epithets
• Maternal bestowal (Kṛttikās as foster-mothers)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Are these ‘faces/necks’ to be read literally or as symbolic epithets?

Purāṇic lists often function as onomastic theology: they can be read as literal mythic forms (rūpa-bheda) and also as symbolic markers of Skanda’s superhuman, protean nature. The text’s grammar (“daduḥ… pañcaitān”) supports ‘bestowed designations/forms’ rather than a single fixed anatomy.

Why do the Kṛttikās ‘give’ these forms to Skanda?

In Skanda traditions, the Kṛttikās are foster-mothers who nurture and ‘name’ the child. Naming/attributing forms is a way of establishing divine identity, powers, and cultic remembrance (stotra/namāvali usage).

Does this verse contain any tīrtha or geographic marker typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

Not in this śloka. It is a mythic-catalogue verse; geographic anchoring, if present in the chapter, would occur in surrounding passages rather than here.