Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 62

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

कूर्मग्रीवो ग्रीवयैव शिरमा चरणेन च लुण्ठनेन तता दैत्यान् निजघान सवाहनान्

Transliteration

kūrmagrīvo grīvayaiva śiramā caraṇena ca luṇṭhanena tatā daityān nijaghāna savāhanān

Translation

Kūrmagrīva đã đánh gục các Daitya bằng chính chiếc cổ, bằng đầu, bằng chân, và cả bằng cách lăn mình đè lên; như vậy, ông sát hại các Daitya cùng với thú cưỡi của họ.

Word by Word

• कूर्म-ग्रीवः: he whose neck is like a tortoise’s (Kūrmagrīva)
• कूर्म-ग्रीवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म + ग्रीवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समासः (कूर्मवत् ग्रीवा यस्य सः)

• ग्रीवया: with the neck
• ग्रीवया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रीवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• शिरमा: with the head
• शिरमा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; वैदिक/छान्दस-रूपम् (शिरसा इत्यर्थे)

• चरणेन: with the foot
• चरणेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• लुण्ठनेन: by rolling/tumbling
• लुण्ठनेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लुण्ठन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियानाम (action-noun)

• तता: then/thereupon
• तता: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); पाठभेद/छान्दस-रूपम् तता = ततः

• दैत्यान्: Daityas (demons)
• दैत्यान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• निजघान: slew/struck down
• निजघान: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) + नि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्गयुक्त

• स-वाहनान्: together with their mounts/vehicles
• स-वाहनान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (दैत्यान्); कर्मधारय-समासः (वाहनैः सह)

Speakers

• Narrator addressing a sage (mune implied from surrounding context) in the Andhaka-vadha battle account

Primary Deities

• Shiva

Key Themes

• Andhaka-vadha cycle
• Close-quarters combat motifs
• Defeat of Daityas and their mounts
• Epic-style physical hyperbole

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why are neck and head listed as weapons?

Purāṇic battle narration often amplifies heroic strength by depicting the body itself as weaponry. ‘Neck’ and ‘head’ imply ramming, butting, and crushing—forms of grappling combat that contrast with bow-and-arrow warfare.

What is the significance of ‘sa-vāhanān’?

It intensifies the victory: the enemy is not merely defeated individually, but their supporting mobility—mounts/vehicles—is also destroyed, indicating a rout and total disabling of the opposing force.

Is Kūrmagrīva an avatar or deity?

No avatar is indicated here. Kūrmagrīva functions as a named fighter within the narrative; the epithet (‘tortoise-necked’) is descriptive rather than theological.