Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Counsel to Andhaka, Shloka 54

Shukra’s Curse on King Danda and Prahlada’s Counsel to Andhaka on Dharma

Devanagari script

गच्छ शीघ्रं महाबाहो भेरीं सान्नाहिकीं दृढाम् ताडयस्व सुविश्रब्धं दुःशीलामिव योषितम्

Transliteration

gaccha śīghraṃ mahābāho bherīṃ sānnāhikīṃ dṛḍhām tāḍayasva suviśrabdhaṃ duḥśīlāmiva yoṣitam

Translation

“Go quickly, O mighty-armed one. Strike the firm war-drum, the sānnāhikī, with full confidence—(strike it) as one would strike a woman of bad conduct.”

Speakers

• Andhaka (commander) to Duryodhana (warrior)

Primary Deities

• Shiva (implied as the central opponent in Andhaka cycle)

Key Themes

• Battle mobilization
• Command and obedience
• Sound as martial signal (bherī)
• Harsh simile / heroic register

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the ‘sānnāhikī’ bherī in this context?

Sānnāhikī denotes a specifically martial drum—sounded to announce mustering, formation, and the commencement of hostilities. In Purāṇic battle scenes it functions as an acoustic marker of mobilization and intimidation.

Why does the verse use a harsh simile involving a ‘duḥśīlā yoṣit’?

The simile is a conventional heroic-register exaggeration meant to convey unrestrained force and lack of hesitation. It reflects the text’s martial rhetoric rather than a normative ethical instruction.

Does this verse contribute to Vāmana Purāṇa’s sacred geography?

Not directly. Unlike tīrtha-māhātmya passages, this line contains no toponyms; it is a narrative command within the Andhaka cycle.