Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 30
Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha
गणा गुहवचः श्रुत्वा अवतीर्य महीतलम् आरात् पतन्तस्तद्देशं नादं चक्रुर्भयङ्करम्
gaṇā guhavacaḥ śrutvā avatīrya mahītalam ārāt patantastaddeśaṃ nādaṃ cakrurbhayaṅkaram
听闻古诃（斯迦陀）之言后，众伽那降临大地；自近处俯冲至彼方，发出骇人的咆哮。
{ "primaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
Guha is a common epithet of Skanda/Kārttikeya. It can mean ‘hidden’ or ‘dwelling in caves/mountains,’ resonating with his martial, liminal character and his association with mountainous terrains in wider tradition.
In Purāṇic battle scenes, sound functions as both omen and weapon: it signals the arrival of divine forces, destabilizes enemies psychologically, and marks the transition into open combat.
It primarily conveys tactic and immediacy—‘swooping down at close range’—rather than naming a site. The text here is focused on kinetic action, not on tirtha-identification.