Vamana Purana — Shukra's Samjivani, Shloka 65

Shukra’s Saṃjīvanī, Shiva’s Containment of the Asuras, and Indra’s Recovery of Power

Devanagari script

जृम्भमाणेषु च तदाच दानवेषु गणेश्वराः सुराश्च निर्ययुस्तूर्णं दैत्यदेहेभ्य आकुला

Transliteration

jṛmbhamāṇeṣu ca tadāca dānaveṣu gaṇeśvarāḥ surāśca niryayustūrṇaṃ daityadehebhya ākulā

Translation

ثمّ لمّا أخذت جموعُ الدانَفَةِ تتثاءبُ وتفتحُ أفواهَها اتّساعًا، خرج سادةُ الغَنا والآلهةُ، في اضطرابٍ، سريعًا من أجسادِ الدَّيتْيَةِ.

Speakers

• Narratorial voice (Purāṇic narrator) describing the battle scene; specific interlocutors not explicit in these verses.

Primary Deities

• Shiva (implied)
• Devas (collective)

Key Themes

• Andhaka-vadha cycle
• Deva–Daitya conflict
• Miraculous/occult battle imagery (beings emerging from bodies)
• Śaiva martial retinue (Gaṇas)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does it mean that gods and Gaṇa-lords ‘came out from the bodies of the Daityas’ (daitya-dehebhyaḥ)?

This is a Purāṇic battle trope expressing supernatural confusion and reversal in war: divine forces that had been ‘contained,’ ‘bound,’ or ‘overpowered’ by demonic bodies (through māyā, possession, or engulfing) suddenly break free when the Daityas lose control. The imagery of ‘gaping/yawning’ (jṛmbh-) signals a moment of vulnerability in the demon host.

Who are the ‘gaṇeśvarāḥ’ here—Gaṇeśa or Śiva’s Gaṇas?

The plural gaṇeśvarāḥ means ‘lords/chiefs of the Gaṇas’—commanders among Śiva’s attendant hosts (gaṇas). It is not the proper name Gaṇeśa (usually singular, Gaṇeśa/Gaṇapati/Vināyaka), but a collective designation for leaders within Śiva’s retinue.

How does this verse fit the Andhaka-vadha narrative arc?

In Andhaka-related war descriptions, the text often alternates between demonic advantage and sudden divine resurgence. This śloka marks a turning point: the demon host’s internal disorder (ākulatā) allows the Devas and Śaiva Gaṇas to reassert themselves, setting up renewed combat in the following verses.