Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 79

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

गदया मूर्ध्नि बाणं हि निजघान महाबलः वेदनार्त्तो मुमोचाथ सुचक्राक्षं महासुरः स चापि तेन संयुक्तो व्रीडायुक्तो महामनाः

Transliteration

gadayā mūrdhni bāṇaṃ hi nijaghāna mahābalaḥ vedanārtto mumocātha sucakrākṣaṃ mahāsuraḥ sa cāpi tena saṃyukto vrīḍāyukto mahāmanāḥ

Translation

ତେବେ ସେ ମହାବଳୀ ଗଦାଦ୍ୱାରା ବାଣର ମସ୍ତକରେ ପ୍ରହାର କଲା। ବେଦନାର୍ତ୍ତ ସେ ମହାସୁର ସୁଚକ୍ରାକ୍ଷକୁ ଛାଡ଼ିଦେଲା; ଏବଂ ସେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଏପରି ଆଘାତ ପାଇ, ମହାମନା ହେଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଲଜ୍ଜାୟୁକ୍ତ ହେଲା।

Word by Word

• गदया: with a mace
• गदया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• मूर्ध्नि: on the head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• बाणम्: Bāṇa
• बाणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• निजघान: struck down/struck
• निजघान: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘नि’ उपसर्गयुक्त

• महाबलः: the mighty one
• महाबलः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (कर्ता)

• वेदना-आर्तः: distressed by pain
• वेदना-आर्तः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेदना + आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वेदनया आर्तः)

• मुमोच: released/let go
• मुमोच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अथ: then
• अथ: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/कालसूचक (then)

• सुचक्राक्षम्: Sucakrākṣa
• सुचक्राक्षम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + चक्र + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महासुरः: the great asura
• महासुरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• तेन: with him/by him
• तेन: Sahakari/Karana (सहकारी/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संयुक्तः: joined/associated
• संयुक्तः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• व्रीडा-युक्तः: filled with shame
• व्रीडा-युक्तः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्रीडा + युक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (व्रीडया युक्तः)

• महामनाः: great-minded
• महामनाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (महान् मनः यस्य)

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic sūta-style narration) describing the battle; direct interlocutors not specified in the given excerpt.

Primary Deities

• Gaṇeśvara(s) (Gaṇa leaders/attendants of Śiva)

Key Themes

• Deva–Asura conflict
• Heroic combat (yuddha-varṇana)
• Humiliation and retreat in battle
• Gaṇa power and protection

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is ‘Bāṇa’ here—does it refer to the famous Bāṇāsura of other Purāṇas?

The name ‘Bāṇa’ can denote different Asura figures across Purāṇic corpora. In this local battle narration, it functions as a combatant among the Daityas/Asuras; identification with the well-known Bāṇāsura (son of Bali in some traditions) is possible but not guaranteed without surrounding verses specifying lineage and setting.

What does the epithet ‘sucakrākṣa’ convey?

Literally ‘having beautiful/well-formed wheel-like eyes,’ it is a poetic marker of fierce brilliance and intimidating gaze. Such epithets often signal a warrior’s terrifying presence rather than a literal anatomical description.

Why is ‘shame’ (vrīḍā) emphasized in a battle verse?

Purāṇic battle descriptions frequently pair physical injury with moral-psychological states. ‘Vrīḍā’ here underscores loss of face and the warrior’s diminished standing, foreshadowing withdrawal or tactical retreat.