Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

ततः पश्यत्सु देवेषु महापाशुपतादयः गणास्तद्दानवं सैन्यं जिघांसन्ति स्म कोपिताः

Transliteration

tataḥ paśyatsu deveṣu mahāpāśupatādayaḥ gaṇāstaddānavaṃ sainyaṃ jighāṃsanti sma kopitāḥ

Translation

Alors, sous le regard des dieux, les troupes de gaṇas—à commencer par les grands Pāśupatas—saisies de colère, cherchèrent à mettre à mort cette armée de Dānavas.

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic voice) describing the action as observed by the devas.

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Paśupati)

Key Themes

• Śaiva martial agency (gaṇas)
• Deva-asura warfare
• Wrath as a catalyst in righteous combat
• Spectatorship of devas vs. action of gaṇas

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who are the ‘mahāpāśupatādayaḥ gaṇāḥ’?

They are Śiva’s gaṇas (attendant hosts), led by ‘great Pāśupatas’—figures aligned with Paśupati (Śiva as Lord of beings). The term signals a specifically Śaiva cadre within the broader divine forces.

Why does the verse stress that the gods were ‘paśyatsu’ (watching) while the gaṇas attack?

It distinguishes roles: the devas are positioned as witnesses/overseers of the unfolding dharmic contest, while Śiva’s gaṇas execute the immediate martial response. This also heightens drama—action erupts under the gaze of the assembled pantheon.

Does ‘taddānavaṃ sainyam’ identify a specific place or tīrtha-linked group?

No. It identifies the enemy as a Dānava army without attaching it to a named geography. The verse is narrative-military rather than tīrtha-topographical.