Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 98

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

पुरन्दरवचः श्रुत्वा क्रोधादारक्तलोचनः कुमारः प्राह वचनं कम्पमानः शतक्रतुम्

Transliteration

purandaravacaḥ śrutvā krodhādāraktalocanaḥ kumāraḥ prāha vacanaṃ kampamānaḥ śatakratum

Translation

ପୁରନ୍ଦରଙ୍କ ବଚନ ଶୁଣି କ୍ରୋଧରେ ରକ୍ତଲୋଚନ କୁମାର କମ୍ପିତ ଶତକ୍ରତୁ (ଇନ୍ଦ୍ର)ଙ୍କୁ ଉଦ୍ଦେଶ୍ୟ କରି କଥା କହିଲା।

Word by Word

• purandara-vacaḥ: Purandara’s words
• purandara-vacaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purandara (प्रातिपदिक) + vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुरन्दरस्य वचः)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (absolutive/gerund), ‘having heard’

• krodhāt: from anger
• krodhāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krodha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; ablative ‘from/through anger’

• ārakta-locanaḥ: red-eyed
• ārakta-locanaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ārakta (प्रातिपदिक) + locana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘āraktaṃ locanaṃ yasya/ārakta-locanaḥ’

• kumāraḥ: the Kumāra (Skanda)
• kumāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-āh (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vacanam: speech; words
• vacanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• kampamānaḥ: trembling
• kampamānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kamp (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• śatakratum: Śatakratu (Indra)
• śatakratum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatakratu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (शतं क्रतवो यस्य) इन्द्र-पर्याय

Speakers

• Narrator describing Kumāra speaking to Indra (Śatakratu/Purandara).

Primary Deities

• Kumāra (Skanda/Kārttikeya)
• Indra (Purandara/Śatakratu)

Key Themes

• Divine confrontation and hierarchy
• Krodha (wrath) as narrative catalyst
• Indra’s fear/trembling before a higher martial deity
• Speech-act preceding conflict

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is “Kumāra” in this context?

In Purāṇic usage, “Kumāra” most commonly denotes Skanda/Kārttikeya, the divine war-leader. The martial setting and Indra being addressed support this identification, though confirmation depends on adjacent verses naming Skanda, Kārttikeya, or related epithets.

Why is Indra described as trembling (kampamānaḥ)?

The trembling underscores a reversal of expected dominance: Indra, though king of the devas, is not supreme in all contexts. Purāṇas frequently depict Indra as anxious before greater cosmic forces or higher commanders, emphasizing that sovereignty is conditional and subordinate to dharma and divine order.

What does the red-eyed description (ārakta-locanaḥ) convey?

It is a conventional marker of wrath and imminent action. In epic-Purāṇic poetics, bodily signs (reddened eyes, trembling, etc.) externalize inner states and foreshadow escalation from speech to violence.