Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 41

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

Devanagari script

ततः स्वेदो ऽभवद् भूरि श्रमजः शङ्करस्य तु ललाटफलके तस्माज्जाता कन्यासृगाप्लुता

Transliteration

tataḥ svedo 'bhavad bhūri śramajaḥ śaṅkarasya tu lalāṭaphalake tasmājjātā kanyāsṛgāplutā

Translation

Then abundant sweat arose—born of exertion—upon Śaṅkara; and upon the surface of his forehead, from that (sweat) a maiden was born, drenched in blood.

Speakers

• Narrator continuing the battle account

Primary Deities

• Shiva

Key Themes

• Etiological birth motif
• Divine body as source of beings
• Battle-exertion and cosmic consequences
• Śaiva mythic symbolism

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is a maiden born from Śiva’s sweat in the middle of battle?

Purāṇic narrative often treats the deity’s body as a locus of creative power. Here, the extremity of combat (śrama) becomes a generative trigger: sweat (sveda) transforms into a personified force, indicating that even exertion in defense of dharma produces new agencies in the cosmos.

What is the significance of “forehead” (lalāṭa) as the place of origin?

Śiva’s forehead is symbolically charged (associated with higher power and, in broader Śaiva imagery, the locus of transcendent energy). Birth from the forehead suggests an emanation tied to command, potency, and extraordinary origin rather than ordinary biological generation.

Why is the maiden described as “drenched in blood” (asṛg-āplutā)?

The description links her emergence directly to the battlefield torrent of blood, marking her as a being born from the crisis itself. It also signals a fierce or liminal nature—an entity arising to address an imbalance created by demonic vitality and violent excess.