Vamana Purana — Battle at Mandara, Shloka 62

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

Devanagari script

एकतो नैगमेयेन भिन्नः शक्त्या त्वयःसिराः शाखश्च नैगमेयश्च तूर्णमाद्रवतां रिपुम्

Transliteration

ekato naigameyena bhinnaḥ śaktyā tvayaḥsirāḥ śākhaśca naigameyaśca tūrṇamādravatāṃ ripum

Translation

Auf der einen Seite wurde Ayaḥśiras von Naigameya mit einem Speer (śakti) durchbohrt; und Śākha und Naigameya stürmten rasch gegen den Feind an.

Speakers

• Narrator voice; continuation of the same combat sequence.

Primary Deities

• Śiva
• Skanda/Kārttikeya

Key Themes

• Use of śakti (spear) weapon
• Turning point in duel
• Allied coordination in battle
• Asura champion wounded

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the ‘śakti’ weapon in Purāṇic battle descriptions?

Śakti commonly denotes a spear or javelin—often a signature missile/hand-weapon in divine warfare narratives (notably in Skanda traditions), used for piercing strikes at close or mid-range.

Why does the verse say ‘ekataḥ’ (‘on one side’)?

It marks the locus of impact—suggesting a specific flank or point in the melee where Naigameya’s spear strike lands, a stylistic detail that heightens the immediacy of the battlefield scene.

The second half repeats that Śākha and Naigameya rushed the enemy—how should this be read?

Such repetition is typical of Purāṇic yuddha narration: it can indicate continued pursuit after the spear-wound, or preserve a formulaic line from a battle-catalogue tradition where actions are reiterated for emphasis and rhythmic continuity.