Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 57

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

Devanagari script

त्रिणाचिकेतस्त्रिपदप्रतिष्ठः षडङ्गवित् त्वं विषयेष्वलुब्धः त्रैलोक्यनाथो ऽसि पुनीहि शंभो दासो ऽस्मि भीतः शरणागतस्ते

Transliteration

triṇāciketastripadapratiṣṭhaḥ ṣaḍaṅgavit tvaṃ viṣayeṣvalubdhaḥ trailokyanātho 'si punīhi śaṃbho dāso 'smi bhītaḥ śaraṇāgataste

Translation

{"scene_description": "Ascetics on Meru offer severe worship to Brahmā, while Indra (Sahasrākṣa) watches from Amarāvatī, visibly anxious; one ascetic (Vipaścit) is subtly highlighted as a standout.", "primary_figures": ["Brahmā", "Indra (Sahasrākṣa)", "Vipaścit", "other ascetic brothers"], "setting": "Split-scene: Meru austerities below; Amarāvatī/Indra’s court above among clouds.", "color_palette": ["cloud-white", "lotus-pink", "gold", "storm-grey", "emerald"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore style, gold leaf for Brahmā’s and Indra’s crowns, two-tier composition with Meru tapas below and Indra in Amarāvatī above, expressive anxious Indra, ornate pillars and halos.", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature, soft cloud layers separating realms, Brahmā receiving worship, Indra peering with worried eyes, delicate pastel palette and fine facial expression.", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural, bold outlines, Brahmā on lotus seat, Indra with thousand-eye motif stylized, dramatic contrast between calm tapas and tense deva court, temple-wall symmetry.", "pattachitra_prompt": "Pattachitra scroll, compartmentalized panels: tapas to Brahmā, then Indra’s fear reaction, patterned clouds and borders, folk stylization of thousand eyes."}

Speakers

• Same supplicant/devotee addressing Śiva (Śaṃbhu) in a continuous hymn.

Primary Deities

• Śiva (Śaṃbhu)

Key Themes

• Śaraṇāgati
• Śiva’s omniscience and ascetic detachment
• Vedic learning (Vedāṅga)
• Cosmic lordship (trailokya)
• Devotee humility (dāsya-bhāva)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "karuna", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Does ‘ṣaḍaṅgavit’ refer to yoga (six limbs) or Vedāṅga (six limbs of the Veda)?

In Purāṇic stotra diction, ‘ṣaḍaṅga’ most commonly points to the six Vedāṅgas, especially when paired with other Vedic markers (like ‘Trayī’ in the previous verse). It proclaims Śiva as the ground of Vedic knowledge and its correct articulation.

What is the theological point of calling Śiva ‘viṣayeṣv alubdhaḥ’ (not deluded by objects)?

It highlights Śiva’s vairāgya (non-attachment) and transcendence of guṇic entanglement. In a purification-prayer context, the devotee contrasts their own vulnerability with the deity’s unshakable mastery, making Śiva the proper refuge for cleansing and protection.

How should ‘tri-pada-pratiṣṭha’ be read given the famous ‘three strides’ are usually Viṣṇu’s?

Stotras often ‘share’ cosmic motifs across deities to assert supremacy or unity. Here it can mean ‘founded on the three worlds’ or ‘grounded in the tripartite Vedic/cosmic order’; it need not be a direct Viṣṇu-avatāra reference, but a way to say Śiva is the stable foundation of the universe.