Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 8
Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha
ततो विहस्याह गुहः को ऽयं मातर्वदस्व माम् यस्यादरात् प्रणामो ऽयं क्रियते मद्विधैर्जनैः
tato vihasyāha guhaḥ ko 'yaṃ mātarvadasva mām yasyādarāt praṇāmo 'yaṃ kriyate madvidhairjanaiḥ
ततो गुहः विहस्याह—“कोऽयं मातः, वदस्व माम्; यस्यादरात् मद्विधैर्जनैः अयं प्रणामः क्रियते?”
{ "primaryRasa": "hasya", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
The participle ‘vihasya’ typically conveys a light smile or playful curiosity, not contempt. The verse sets up a pedagogical moment: the son asks for the theological basis of an act of reverence.
It suggests Skanda is conscious of his own identity—powerful, martial, and divine—and wonders why someone ‘like him’ should bow. This becomes a narrative device to articulate Viṣṇu’s supreme or universally venerable status.
It prepares for an explanatory passage (often a stuti or doctrinal clarification) establishing why Viṣṇu is worthy of worship even within a Śaiva familial setting, reinforcing unity and hierarchy of reverence.