Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 4

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

शिशुरस्मि न जानामि वक्तुं किञ्चन देवताः दीयतां ब्रह्मणा सार्द्धमनुज्ञ मम साम्प्रतम्

Transliteration

śiśurasmi na jānāmi vaktuṃ kiñcana devatāḥ dīyatāṃ brahmaṇā sārddhamanujña mama sāmpratam

Translation

“Con chỉ là một đứa trẻ, không biết nói điều gì cho xứng đáng, ôi các chư thần. Xin ban cho con, cùng với Phạm Thiên (Brahmā), sự cho phép của các ngài—ngay lúc này.”

Word by Word

• śiśuḥ: a child
• śiśuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiśu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• asmi: I am
• asmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; धातु: अस् (to be)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• jānāmi: I know
• jānāmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; धातु: ज्ञा (to know)

• vaktum: to speak
• vaktum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/infinitival complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), धातु: वच् (to speak)

• kiñcana: anything
• kiñcana: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiñcana (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite pronoun)

• devatāḥ: O deities
• devatāḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• dīyatām: let (it) be given
• dīyatām: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive/impersonal): ‘let it be given’

• brahmaṇā: by Brahmā / with Brahmā (instr.)
• brahmaṇā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• sārddham: together with
• sārddham: Sahārtha (सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sārddham (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अर्थक-अव्यय (adverb/preposition: ‘together with’)

• anujña: permission
• anujña: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anujñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘permission/leave’

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• sāmpratam: now / at present
• sāmpratam: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāmpratam (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speakers

• Kumāra addressing the Devas; implicitly invoking Brahmā’s concurrence

Primary Deities

• Kumāra/Skanda
• Brahmā
• Devas (collective)

Key Themes

• Humility of the divine hero
• Legitimation through anujñā (authorization)
• Brahmā’s supervisory role
• Ritual-ethical framing of warfare

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "karuna", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why does Kumāra call himself a ‘child’ if he is a divine warrior?

Purāṇic narrative often emphasizes Kumāra’s youth (kumāratva) as a theological motif: extraordinary power housed in a youthful form. The humility also models proper conduct—seeking sanction before undertaking a world-altering act.

What is the significance of requesting anujñā ‘together with Brahmā’?

Brahmā functions as a cosmic authority and witness. By invoking Brahmā’s concurrence, the act of battle is framed as aligned with cosmic order (ṛta/dharma) and not as personal impulse.

Is this verse about speech or about permission?

Both. The confession of inadequate speech underscores reverence; the practical request is anujñā. Together they form a conventional devotional posture: humility → request → empowerment.