Vamana Purana — Battle at Mandara, Shloka 54

The Battle at Mandara: Vinayaka, Nandin, and Skanda Rout the Daitya Hosts

Devanagari script

ते वध्यमानाः प्रमथैर्दैत्याश्चापि पराङ्मुखाःष भूयो निवृत्ता बलिनः कार्त्तस्वरपुरोगमाः

Transliteration

te vadhyamānāḥ pramathairdaityāścāpi parāṅmukhāḥṣa bhūyo nivṛttā balinaḥ kārttasvarapurogamāḥ

Translation

প্ৰমথসকলৰ দ্বাৰা বধ হ’বলৈ ধৰাত দৈত্যসকলেও পৰাঙ্মুখ হ’ল; তথাপি কাৰ্ত্তস্বৰৰ নেতৃত্বত সেই বলৱানসকল পুনৰ উভতি আহিল।

Speakers

• Narratorial voice continuing the battle description.

Primary Deities

• Śiva

Key Themes

• Asura resilience and regrouping
• Pramatha/gaṇa ferocity
• Battle reversals (retreat and return)
• Command structure among Asuras

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Are ‘pramatha’ and ‘gaṇa’ the same here?

They overlap. ‘Pramathas’ are a well-known fierce subset/class of Śiva’s attendants; in battle narration Purāṇas often use pramatha/gaṇa interchangeably to emphasize their terrifying, disruptive nature.

What does parāṅmukhāḥ imply—cowardice or strategy?

Parāṅmukha literally means ‘turned away’. In epic-Purāṇic battle style it can indicate a momentary rout or tactical withdrawal; the next hemistich (‘bhūyo nivṛttā’) explicitly frames it as a regrouping and return.

Who is Kārttasvara in this context?

Kārttasvara is presented as the leader (purogama) of the returning Daitya force. The name suggests ‘golden splendor’ (kārttasvara = gold), a common Asura epithet/name indicating brilliance, wealth, or martial radiance.