Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 83
Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha
भगनान् गणान् वीक्ष्य महेश्वरात्मजस्तं तारकं सासिनमापतन्तम् दृष्ट्वैव शक्त्या हृदये बिभेद स भिन्नमर्मा न्यपतत् पृथिव्याम्
bhaganān gaṇān vīkṣya maheśvarātmajastaṃ tārakaṃ sāsinamāpatantam dṛṣṭvaiva śaktyā hṛdaye bibheda sa bhinnamarmā nyapatat pṛthivyām
Vendo os Gaṇas quebrados e em debandada, o filho de Maheśvara (Skanda), ao avistar Tāraka, o portador da espada, avançando, traspassou-o de pronto no coração com sua lança-śakti; rompidos os pontos vitais, ele caiu por terra.
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FAQs
In Skanda narratives, “śakti” commonly denotes Skanda’s spear/lance (his signature weapon), not merely abstract power. The verse’s concrete action—piercing the heart—supports the weapon sense.
Marman are anatomically and ritually significant ‘vital spots.’ Saying they are shattered is a stock epic marker of decisive, fatal defeat—indicating not a minor wound but total incapacitation.
It depicts a lethal strike and a fall to earth; however, Purāṇic battle narration sometimes describes a champion’s collapse before later developments. The immediate sense is that Skanda decisively neutralizes Tāraka at this moment.