Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 67

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

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच इत्थं महेश्वरो ब्रह्मन् स्तुतो दैत्याधिपेन तु प्रीतियुक्तः विङ्गलाक्षो हैरण्याक्षिमुवाच ह

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca itthaṃ maheśvaro brahman stuto daityādhipena tu prītiyuktaḥ viṅgalākṣo hairaṇyākṣimuvāca ha

Translation

Pulastya said: “Thus, O Brahman, Maheśvara—praised by the lord of the Daityas—became filled with pleasure. The tawny-eyed one then spoke to Hiraṇyākṣi.”

Speakers

• Pulastya narrating to a Brahman interlocutor (commonly Nārada in Purāṇic dialogue frames); within the story
• Śiva responds to Hiraṇyākṣi (the Daityādhipa).

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Maheśvara)

Key Themes

• Power of stuti to elicit divine grace (prīti)
• Purāṇic dialogue framing (ṛṣi-to-ṛṣi transmission)
• Daitya devotion and divine response
• Transition from hymn to boon/instruction narrative

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is ‘Hiraṇyākṣi’ here, and why is he called ‘Daityādhipa’?

The verse identifies the praised-by party as the ‘lord of the Daityas’ and then names him as Hiraṇyākṣi. In Purāṇic usage, such titles can denote either political supremacy among asuras/daityas or narrative prominence as their representative.

What does ‘prītiyuktaḥ’ signal in Purāṇic storytelling?

It is a standard marker that the deity has accepted the hymn and is disposed to grant a response—often a boon, instruction, or protection. It functions as the narrative hinge between praise (stuti) and divine speech (vara/anuśāsana).

Does this verse contain any geographical metadata relevant to the Vāmana Purāṇa’s tirtha focus?

No. This is a narrative connector verse without explicit toponyms. Any sacred-geography linkage would come from surrounding verses if they specify a kṣetra, mountain, river, or shrine where the encounter occurs.