Vamana Purana — Ritadhvaja Aids Galava, Shloka 16
Ritadhvaja’s Aid to Galava and Andhaka’s Infatuation with Gauri
पुलस्त्य उवाच तारकं निहतं दृष्ट्वा महिषं च रणे ऽन्धकः क्रोधं चक्रे सुदुर्बुद्धिर्देवानां देवसैन्यहा
pulastya uvāca tārakaṃ nihataṃ dṛṣṭvā mahiṣaṃ ca raṇe 'ndhakaḥ krodhaṃ cakre sudurbuddhirdevānāṃ devasainyahā
Pulastya said: Seeing Tāraka slain, and the Buffalo-demon (Mahiṣa) also killed in battle, Andhaka—of perverse understanding, a slayer of the gods’ armies—was seized with wrath.
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FAQs
They function as notable Asura figures (or allied demonic champions) whose defeat signals a turning point in the conflict. Their deaths intensify Andhaka’s hostility and propel the narrative toward wider confrontation with the devas and ultimately the Śaiva resolution of the Andhaka episode.
It marks Andhaka not merely as an opponent of individual gods but as a destroyer of the divine host—an archetypal trait of an Asura whose violence threatens cosmic order (ṛta/dharma), justifying divine intervention.
Primarily narrative: it establishes motivation (krodha) and character (sudurbuddhi) to explain subsequent actions. The theological layer is implicit—unchecked wrath and adharma lead to cosmic disturbance and eventual divine correction.