Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 85

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

Devanagari script

ददृशे च गिरेः पुत्रीं श्वेतार्ककुसुमस्थिताम् समायातं निरीक्ष्यैव सर्वलक्षणसंयुतम्

Transliteration

dadṛśe ca gireḥ putrīṃ śvetārkakusumasthitām samāyātaṃ nirīkṣyaiva sarvalakṣaṇasaṃyutam

Translation

[{"question": "Why does the speaker use a poetic address like “fond of song and dance”?", "answer": "Purāṇic narration frequently uses affectionate epithets to maintain a performative, oral-recitation atmosphere. It frames the cosmological catalogue as a ‘kīrtana’—a proclaimed tradition—rather than a dry list."}, {"question": "Does “kali” here mean the Kali-yuga?", "answer": "In this compound (gīta-nṛtya-kali-priya), kali is best read as ‘sport, play, amusement’—a common sense of kali in classical Sanskrit—rather than the specific cosmic age (Kali-yuga)."}, {"question": "What is the function of introducing the Tāmasa Manvantara here?", "answer": "The text is moving sequentially through Manvantaras, indicating that each Manu’s era has distinct sets of Maruts. This supports the Purāṇic model of cyclical cosmic administration."}]

Speakers

• Narratorial voice; the verse reports perception/encounter rather than direct dialogue.

Primary Deities

• Parvati (Girija)
• Shiva (implied by marital/retinue context)

Key Themes

• Appearance of the Goddess (Girijā)
• Auspicious marks (lakṣaṇa)
• Sacred flora in Śaiva settings
• Narrative transition to an encounter

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is ‘the daughter of the mountain’ in Purāṇic usage?

‘Gireḥ putrī’ is a standard epithet for Pārvatī (also called Girijā), emphasizing her Himalayan/mountain lineage and her role as Śiva’s śakti in Śaiva narratives.

Why is the ‘white arka’ (śvetārka) mentioned?

Arka (Calotropis) is a ritually significant plant in many Hindu traditions, frequently associated with offerings and liminal, ascetic, or Śaiva contexts. Mentioning śvetārka flowers helps sacralize the scene and locate it in a recognizable ritual-botanical landscape.

What does ‘endowed with every lakṣaṇa’ imply?

It indicates an idealized, auspicious completeness—either of the arriving figure’s divine/heroic qualities or of their visible marks. In Purāṇic narrative, such phrasing signals that the arrival is significant and divinely sanctioned.