Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 168
Dakṣa’s Progeny, Nṛsiṃha–Varāha Avatāras, and Andhaka’s Defeat
Hari–Hara–Śakti Synthesis
तदन्तरे महादैत्यो ह्यन्धको मन्मथार्दितः / मोहितो गिरिजां देवीमाहर्तुं गिरिमाययौ
tadantare mahādaityo hyandhako manmathārditaḥ / mohito girijāṃ devīmāhartuṃ girimāyayau
Cependant, le grand Daitya Andhaka—tourmenté par l’émoi de Kāma—tomba dans l’illusion ; et, voulant enlever la déesse Girijā (Pārvatī), il se rendit à la montagne.
Narrator (Purāṇic narrator relating the Andhaka episode within the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva narrative frame)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
Indirectly, it contrasts the Self’s clarity with moha (delusion): when consciousness is overpowered by kāma, discernment collapses and adharma arises—implying that liberation requires mastery over desire and return to inner steadiness.
The verse functions as a cautionary marker for Yoga: unchecked kāma produces moha. In the Kurma Purana’s broader Pāśupata-leaning ethic, restraint (saṃyama), sense-control, and devotion to Īśvara are presented as antidotes to such agitation.
Though the verse centers on a Shaiva narrative (Parvati/Girija), the Kurma Purana’s overarching stance harmonizes sectarian frames: the same dharma and yogic discipline upheld in Vishnu’s teachings also protects the Shaiva sphere from adharma driven by desire.