Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 22

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

Devanagari script

शरीरस्थांस्तान् प्रमथान् कृत्वा देवांश्च शङ्करः प्राह एह्येहि तुष्टात्मन् अहमेको ऽपि संश्थितः

Transliteration

śarīrasthāṃstān pramathān kṛtvā devāṃśca śaṅkaraḥ prāha ehyehi tuṣṭātman ahameko 'pi saṃśthitaḥ

Translation

প্রমথ ও দেবতাদের দেহের মধ্যে স্থাপন করে শঙ্কর বললেন—“এসো, এসো! হে তুষ্টচিত্ত, আমি একাই হলেও স্থির আছি।”

Speakers

• Śiva (Śaṅkara) addressing the approaching adversary in the Andhaka conflict (with narrator framing)

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Shankara)

Key Themes

• Heroic challenge (vīra-rasa)
• Self-reliance grounded in divine power
• Protection of devas
• Gaṇa theology (Pramathas as Śiva’s retinue)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who are the ‘Pramathas’ mentioned here?

Pramathas are Śiva’s gaṇas—his attendant spirits/warriors—depicted as formidable beings who execute Śiva’s will in battle and ritual contexts.

What is the force of ‘ehyehi’ in Purāṇic battle scenes?

It is a conventional martial summons—both a challenge and an assertion of fearlessness—inviting the enemy to engage while signaling the speaker’s unwavering stance.

How should ‘tuṣṭātman’ be understood?

It can function as a vocative epithet (‘O steady/content-minded one’) used either ironically toward the foe or as a marker of Śiva’s own inner composure; the immediate context of confrontation favors a taunting address, while the theology supports Śiva’s unshaken equanimity.