Vamana Purana — Battle at Mandara, Shloka 58

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

Devanagari script

तमापतन्तं ज्वलनप्रकाशं गमः समीक्ष्यैव महासुरेन्द्रम् तं पट्टिशं भ्राम्य जघान मूर्ध्नि कार्तस्वरं विस्वरमुन्नदन्तम् // वम्प्_42.57 तस्मिन् हते समाविध्य तुरङ्गकन्धरः बबन्ध वीरः सह पट्टिशेन गणेश्वरं चाप्यथ नन्दिषेणम्

Transliteration

tamāpatantaṃ jvalanaprakāśaṃ gamaḥ samīkṣyaiva mahāsurendram taṃ paṭṭiśaṃ bhrāmya jaghāna mūrdhni kārtasvaraṃ visvaramunnadantam // VamP_42.57 tasmin hate samāvidhya turaṅgakandharaḥ babandha vīraḥ saha paṭṭiśena gaṇeśvaraṃ cāpyatha nandiṣeṇam

Translation

Voyant le grand seigneur des asuras fondre sur lui, flamboyant comme le feu, le guerrier de la gaṇa fit tournoyer le paṭṭiśa et frappa Kārttasvara au sommet du crâne, tandis qu’il rugissait à pleine voix. Lorsqu’il fut tué, le héros Turaṅgakandhara s’élança et captura Gaṇeśvara ainsi que Nandiṣeṇa, par la force de l’engagement armé du paṭṭiśa.

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic voice
• traditionally Pulastya) addressing Nārada

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Rudra)
• Gaṇa-host (Śiva’s attendants)

Key Themes

• Andhaka-vadha cycle
• Combat escalation and hero-killing
• Capture of commanders
• Sound-and-light battle imagery (roar, flame-like radiance)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is the attacker described as ‘blazing like fire’?

‘Jvalana-prakāśa’ is a standard epic-Purāṇic simile for tejas (martial radiance). It conveys both physical splendor and the terrifying energy (raudra-bhāva) of an asura-champion entering combat.

How should we understand ‘bound with the paṭṭiśa’?

Purāṇic battle diction can compress actions: the paṭṭiśa is the instrument of overpowering; the binding likely occurs after subduing them in close combat, with the phrase indicating capture ‘by means of’ the weapon/force rather than literal tying with the axe.

Are Gaṇeśvara and Nandiṣeṇa deities or commanders?

Here they function as named leaders within Śiva’s gaṇa hierarchy. ‘Gaṇeśvara’ can be a title (‘lord of gaṇas’) and not necessarily the elephant-headed Gaṇeśa; Nandiṣeṇa is a gaṇa associated with Nandin/Śiva’s retinue, appearing as a battlefield commander.