Vamana Purana — Skanda Slays Taraka & Mahisha, Shloka 81
Skanda’s Svastyayana and the Slaying of Taraka and Mahisha
प्रभज्यत बलं सर्वं दैत्यानां सुरतापस ततः स्वबलमीक्ष्यैव प्रभग्नं तारको बली खड्गोद्यतकरो दैत्यः प्रदुद्राव गणेश्वरान्
prabhajyata balaṃ sarvaṃ daityānāṃ suratāpasa tataḥ svabalamīkṣyaiva prabhagnaṃ tārako balī khaḍgodyatakaro daityaḥ pradudrāva gaṇeśvarān
噫，诸天中的苦行者啊，阿修罗族（Daitya）全军尽被击溃。于是勇猛的塔罗迦（Tāraka）见己军败散，那手举利剑的阿修罗便冲向诸伽那主（Gaṇeśvara）。
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FAQs
‘Sura-tāpasa’ (‘ascetic among the gods’) is a respectful vocative often used for deva-rṣis (e.g., Nārada) or a divine sage-listener within Purāṇic frame dialogues. It marks the narration as being told to a spiritually eminent hearer, even when the content is martial.
It signals a turning point: collective collapse of the Daitya forces isolates the leader (Tāraka), setting up a focused duel/assault against the Gaṇa leaders and heightening dramatic tension.
No. ‘Gaṇeśvara’ here is plural and denotes ‘lords/leaders of the Gaṇas,’ i.e., prominent commanders among Śiva’s attendants. It is a category term in Śaiva battle narratives, not a direct reference to the single deity Gaṇeśa.