Vamana Purana — Birth of Skanda (Kartikeya), Shloka 46

The Birth and Consecration of Skanda (Kartikeya) at Kurukshetra

Devanagari script

एवमेव महायोगी पृथिव्यां ख्यातिमेष्यति षडास्यत्वान् महाबाहुः षण्मुखो नाम गीयते

Transliteration

evameva mahāyogī pṛthivyāṃ khyātimeṣyati ṣaḍāsyatvān mahābāhuḥ ṣaṇmukho nāma gīyate

Translation

“Cũng như thế, vị đại du-già này sẽ được lừng danh trên cõi đất. Vì có sáu mặt, bậc dũng lực ấy được ca tụng bằng danh hiệu ‘Ṣaṇmukha’ (Đấng Sáu Mặt).”

Word by Word

• evam: thus/in this way
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण

• mahā-yogī: the great yogin
• mahā-yogī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + yogin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘great yogin’

• pṛthivyām: on earth
• pṛthivyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), सप्तमी (Locative, 7th), एकवचन

• khyātim: fame/renown
• khyātim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khyāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन

• eṣyati: will attain/go to
• eṣyati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √i (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• ṣaḍ-āsyatvāt: because of six-facedness
• ṣaḍ-āsyatvāt: Hetu (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ + āsya + -tva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), पञ्चमी (Ablative, 5th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘six-faced-ness’; -त्व (abstract noun)

• mahā-bāhuḥ: the great-armed one
• mahā-bāhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘great-armed’ (epithet)

• ṣaṇmukhaḥ: Ṣaṇmukha
• ṣaṇmukhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṇ-mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन; ‘six-faced’

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, नामनिर्देशार्थ (particle: ‘by name/as’)

• gīyate: is sung of/is called
• gīyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gai (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः ‘is sung/called’

Speakers

• Narrative voice (Purāṇic narrator) describing the destined fame and epithet of Skanda/Kārttikeya (implied within the Andhaka-related cycle).

Primary Deities

• Skanda/Kārttikeya (Ṣaṇmukha)

Key Themes

• Name-etymology (nāma-nirukti)
• Divine fame on earth (khyāti)
• Iconography: six-faced deity
• Skanda/Kārttikeya’s manifestation and attributes

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is ‘Ṣaṇmukha’ in this verse, and why is the name emphasized?

Ṣaṇmukha is Skanda/Kārttikeya. The verse provides a direct nirukti (etymological rationale): he is called ‘Six-faced’ because he possesses six faces, a hallmark of his iconography and mythic birth narratives.

What does calling him ‘mahāyogī’ imply in Purāṇic theology?

‘Mahāyogī’ signals mastery over divine power and self-control, aligning Skanda not merely with martial prowess but with ascetic-spiritual potency—an important Purāṇic way of grounding divine authority in tapas/yoga.

Does this verse contain geographical/tīrtha information typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

No. This śloka is primarily mythic and iconographic (naming and attributes). The geography-centric material appears elsewhere, but here the focus is on epithet and renown.