Vamana Purana — Battle at Mandara, Shloka 53

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

Devanagari script

अमरारिबलं दृष्ट्वा भग्नं क्रुद्धा गणेश्वराः पुरतो नन्दिनं कृत्वा जिघांसन्ति स्म दानवान्

Transliteration

amarāribalaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhagnaṃ kruddhā gaṇeśvarāḥ purato nandinaṃ kṛtvā jighāṃsanti sma dānavān

Translation

Seeing the army of the gods’ enemies routed, the furious lords of Śiva’s gaṇas, placing Nandin in the vanguard, set about to slay the Dānavas.

Speakers

• Narratorial voice (Purāṇic narrator) describing the battle; interlocutors not specified in the given excerpt.

Primary Deities

• Śiva
• Nandin

Key Themes

• Gaṇa leadership and martial hierarchy
• Rout of Asura forces
• Śaiva martial valor
• Cosmic conflict (Deva–Asura polarity)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who are the ‘amarāri’ in this verse—gods’ enemies or gods’ allies?

Amarāri literally means ‘enemy of the immortals (devas)’. In Purāṇic battle idiom it denotes Asura groupings such as Daityas and Dānavas; here it is the opposing force being routed.

Why is Nandin placed ‘in front’ (purato nandinaṃ kṛtvā)?

Nandin functions as Śiva’s foremost standard-bearer and commander among the gaṇas. Placing him at the vanguard signals both tactical leadership and ritual-symbolic precedence (Śiva’s śakti expressed through his chief attendant).

Does this verse contain tīrtha or geographic data typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

Not in this śloka. It belongs to a martial narrative segment (Andhaka-vadha cycle) where geography is often backgrounded; no named rivers/forests/tīrthas appear here.