Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 78

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

सुचक्राक्षं सचक्रं हि बद्धं बाणासुरेण हि दृष्ट्वाद्रवद्गदापाणिर्मकराक्षो महाबलः

Transliteration

sucakrākṣaṃ sacakraṃ hi baddhaṃ bāṇāsureṇa hi dṛṣṭvādravadgadāpāṇirmakarākṣo mahābalaḥ

Translation

பாணாசுரன் சக்கரத்துடன் சுசக்ராக்ஷனை கட்டியிருப்பதைக் கண்டு, கதை கையில் கொண்ட மகாபலன் மகராக்ஷன் வேகமாக முன்னே ஓடினான்।

Word by Word

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

• स-चक्रम्: together with the discus
• स-चक्रम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (सह/सहित) + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः ‘चक्रेण सहितम्’

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

• बद्धम्: bound
• बद्धम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (सुचक्राक्षम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• बाणासुरेण: by Bāṇāsura
• बाणासुरेण: Kartr-karana (कर्तृकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्तृ-करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (बाणः असुरः)

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

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• अद्रवत्: ran
• अद्रवत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रु (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गदा-पाणिः: one with a mace in hand
• गदा-पाणिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गदा यस्य पाणौ)

• मकराक्षः: Makarākṣa
• मकराक्षः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मकर + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (मकर-सदृशे अक्षिणी/अक्षि)

• महाबलः: very strong
• महाबलः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (मकराक्षः)

Speakers

• Narrator to audience (not specified in excerpt).

Key Themes

• Rescue/retaliation motif
• Escalation of battle with new champion
• Asura alliances and rivalries

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is Makarākṣa in Purāṇic literature?

The name appears for different figures across texts; in this passage he functions as a powerful warrior entering the fray upon seeing allies captured, marked by the archetypal weapon ‘gadā’ (mace).

What does “sa-cakram” clarify about the scene?

It indicates that both Sucakrākṣa and Cakra are bound—either as companions or as a pair of combatants—tightening the narrative continuity from the prior verses.

Why is no sacred geography present if the Vāmana Purāṇa is strongly geographical?

Even geography-centered Purāṇas embed long mythic battle cycles; this micro-unit is purely martial narration, and the toponyms/tīrthas typically reappear when the text pivots back to tīrtha-māhātmya or pilgrimage framing.