Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 36

Andhaka’s Defeat, the Bhairava Manifestation, and His Redemption as Bhṛṅgī Gaṇapati

Devanagari script

क्षतस्य रुधिरात् जातो भैरवः शूलभूषितः स्वच्छन्दराजो विख्यातः इन्द्रायुधसमप्रभः

Transliteration

kṣatasya rudhirāt jāto bhairavaḥ śūlabhūṣitaḥ svacchandarājo vikhyātaḥ indrāyudhasamaprabhaḥ

Translation

From the blood of the wound there arose Bhairava, adorned with a trident. He became renowned as Svacchandarāja, possessing a radiance comparable to Indra’s weapon (the thunderbolt).

Speakers

• Narrator (likely Pulastya) addressing a sage (mune)
• traditionally Nārada in this dialogue-frame

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Rudra/Bhairava)
• Indra (by comparison to his weapon)

Key Themes

• Rudra’s fierce emanations
• Iconography (trident-bearing)
• Mythic etymology and naming of Bhairava-forms

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is “Svacchandarāja” in this verse?

It is a specific named manifestation of Bhairava. The epithet svacchanda (“self-willed, autonomous”) underscores Bhairava’s unrestrained, sovereign power as an emanation of Śiva.

Why compare Bhairava’s radiance to “Indra’s weapon”?

Indrāyudha commonly denotes the vajra, emblem of irresistible force and brilliance. The comparison signals Bhairava’s overwhelming, lightning-like splendor and invincibility.

What does “born from the blood of the wound” convey mythologically?

It presents Bhairava as an immediate, spontaneous emanation from Śiva’s violent encounter—fierce power crystallizing from the very substance of battle (blood), a common Purāṇic motif for generating attendant deities or gaṇas.