Vamana Purana — Ritadhvaja Aids Galava, Shloka 18
Ritadhvaja’s Aid to Galava and Andhaka’s Infatuation with Gauri
ततो विचरता तेन मन्दरे चारुकन्दरे दृष्टा गौरी च गिरिजा सखीमध्ये स्थिताशुभा
tato vicaratā tena mandare cārukandare dṛṣṭā gaurī ca girijā sakhīmadhye sthitāśubhā
তারপর সে ঘুরে বেড়াতে বেড়াতে মন্দর পর্বতের মনোরম গুহায় গৌরী—গিরিজা—কে সখীদের মাঝে দাঁড়িয়ে থাকতে দেখল; সে দৃশ্য তার জন্য অশুভ ছিল।
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FAQs
Mandara is a mythically charged mountain in Purāṇic geography, often associated with divine events. Here it functions as a sacred, elevated space where the goddess is encountered—intensifying the gravity of Andhaka’s impending transgression.
It is relational: not that the goddess is intrinsically inauspicious, but that her being seen in this context becomes a bad omen for the wrongdoer. The term signals that the encounter will lead to Andhaka’s downfall and the unfolding of the Andhaka-vadha trajectory.
It situates the scene in a feminine, protected retinue typical of goddess narratives, and heightens the impropriety of the intruder’s gaze. It also prepares for subsequent reactions—flight, protection, or divine intervention—within the episode’s dramatic structure.