Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 46

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

न भेतव्यं त्वया तस्मात् सत्यं गोप्तास्मि दानव महिषस्तारकश्चोभौ बाणश्च बलिनां वरः

Transliteration

na bhetavyaṃ tvayā tasmāt satyaṃ goptāsmi dānava mahiṣastārakaścobhau bāṇaśca balināṃ varaḥ

Translation

ଏହେତୁ ତୁମେ ଭୟ କରନି; ହେ ଦାନବ, ସତ୍ୟକୁ କହୁଛି, ମୁଁ ତୁମକୁ ରକ୍ଷା କରିବି। ମହିଷ ଓ ତାରକ—ଉଭୟ—ଏବଂ ବଳବାନମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ବାଣ ମଧ୍ୟ (ସହାୟ ହେବେ)।

Speakers

• Unspecified in the provided excerpt (a Daitya leader/ally reassuring another Daitya; addressed as ‘dānava’).

Key Themes

• Alliance-building among Daityas
• Assurance/protection vow
• Mobilization for conflict

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who are Mahiṣa, Tāraka, and Bāṇa in this context?

They are prominent Asura/Daitya figures invoked as powerful allies. The verse functions as a rhetorical guarantee: the addressee should not fear because renowned champions stand ready.

Does ‘goptāsmi’ imply a formal vow or merely encouragement?

In epic-purāṇic diction, ‘goptā asmi’ (“I am your protector”) often carries the force of a pledge, especially in martial contexts, signaling commitment to defend and to provide strategic backing.

Is any deity or avatāra implied here?

Not directly. The verse is situated in a Daitya-centered prelude; divine intervention may occur elsewhere in the chapter, but this line itself is intra-Asura reassurance.