Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 87

Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha

Devanagari script

स पृष्ठतः प्रेक्ष्य शिकण्डिकेतनं समापतन्तं वरशक्तिपाणिनम् कैलासमुत्सृज्य हिमाचलं तथा क्रौञ्चं समभ्येत्व गुहं विवेश

Transliteration

sa pṛṣṭhataḥ prekṣya śikaṇḍiketanaṃ samāpatantaṃ varaśaktipāṇinam kailāsamutsṛjya himācalaṃ tathā krauñcaṃ samabhyetva guhaṃ viveśa

Translation

Ngoái nhìn lại, hắn thấy người mang cờ hiệu chim công đang lao tới, tay cầm ngọn giáo tối thượng. Bỏ núi Kailāsa, hắn liền đến Himācala; rồi tiến gần núi Krauñca và chui vào một hang động.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पृष्ठतः: from behind
• पृष्ठतः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृष्ठतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘from behind/behind’

• प्रेक्ष्य: having seen
• प्रेक्ष्य: पूर्वकाल (Absolutive; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having seen’

• शिखण्डि-केतनम्: the one with peacock-emblem
• शिखण्डि-केतनम्: कर्म (Karma/Object; seen)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखण्डिन् + केतन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी) ‘whose banner/mark is the peacock’ (epithet of Kumāra)

• समापतन्तम्: rushing towards (him)
• समापतन्तम्: कर्मविशेषण (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-पत् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘rushing/charging’ (qualifies शिखण्डिकेतनम्)

• वर-शक्ति-पाणिनम्: the one holding an excellent spear
• वर-शक्ति-पाणिनम्: कर्म (Karma/Object; apposition to previous)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + शक्ति + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (बहु-षष्ठी-श्रृंखला) ‘having a hand with an excellent spear’ (epithet)

• कैलासम्: Kailāsa
• कैलासम्: कर्म (Karma/Object; left behind)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैलास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्सृज्य: having left
• उत्सृज्य: पूर्वकाल (Absolutive; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having abandoned/left’

• हिमाचलम्: Himācala (Himālaya)
• हिमाचलम्: कर्म (Karma/Object; left behind)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिम + अचल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘snow-mountain’

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण (Connector/Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण/समुच्चयार्थ ‘also/likewise’

• क्रौञ्चम्: Krauñca (mountain)
• क्रौञ्चम्: कर्म (Karma/Object; approached/left)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रौञ्च (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समभ्येत्व: having approached
• समभ्येत्व: पूर्वकाल (Absolutive; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-अभि-इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having approached’

• गुहम्: a cave
• गुहम्: कर्म (Karma/Object; entered)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विवेश: entered
• विवेश: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speakers

• Narrator voice; the verse depicts the pursued asura observing Skanda’s approach.

Primary Deities

• Skanda (Kumāra)
• Śiva (Kailāsa as Śiva’s mountain, implicit)

Key Themes

• Sacred mountain network as narrative geography
• Pursuit motif (divine hunter vs fleeing asura)
• Kailāsa’s sacral aura in demon-flight episodes
• Caves as liminal refuges in Purāṇic topography

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why are Kailāsa, Himācala, and Krauñca named in quick succession?

The verse uses a chain of well-known sacred mountains to ‘map’ the chase. This is characteristic of Purāṇic geography: narrative motion is anchored in recognizable topographic nodes, turning mythic pursuit into a sacral itinerary.

What does ‘Śikaṇḍi-ketana’ tell us about the pursuer?

It is an identifying epithet of Skanda: his emblem/banner bears the peacock (śikhaṇḍin). Combined with ‘vara-śakti-pāṇin’, it unmistakably marks the pursuer as Kumāra in his martial iconography.

Is Krauñca connected to other Skanda traditions?

Yes. Krauñca-parvata appears across Skanda-related lore (including the well-known ‘Krauñca-bheda’ motif in wider tradition). Even when the specific episode differs, the mountain functions as a Skanda-associated landmark within the Purāṇic sacred landscape.