Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Counsel to Andhaka, Shloka 62

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

Devanagari script

हयग्रीवः कालनेमिः संह्लादः कालनाशनः शरभः शलभश्चैव विप्रचित्तिश्च वीर्यवान्

Transliteration

hayagrīvaḥ kālanemiḥ saṃhlādaḥ kālanāśanaḥ śarabhaḥ śalabhaścaiva vipracittiśca vīryavān

Translation

Saromahatmya (Sarasvati–Saro/Tirtha Cycle)

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic voice) concluding/continuing the roster; specific interlocutors not stated in the given excerpt.

Primary Deities

• Shiva

Key Themes

• Andhaka-vadha cycle
• Asura coalition
• Onomastic overlap (Hayagrīva/Śarabha) across sectarian traditions
• Valor (vīrya) as a narrative marker

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Is Hayagrīva here the same as Viṣṇu’s Hayagrīva avatāra?

No. In many Purāṇic corpora “Hayagrīva” can denote either a demon or a divine manifestation depending on context. Here it appears in a daitya roster opposing Śiva, so it should be read as an asura named Hayagrīva.

Why do names like Śarabha carry sectarian resonance?

Certain names function in multiple registers: Śarabha can be a mythic creature and also a Śaiva-associated epithet in other narratives. This verse uses it as a warrior-name within an asura list, illustrating how Purāṇic onomastics can cross sectarian story-worlds.

What does the epithet vīryavān add when the verse already lists names?

It highlights Vipracitti’s exceptional martial potency and signals his prominence among the coalition. Such epithets help listeners recognize hierarchy within a compressed catalogue.