Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 68

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

Devanagari script

सिद्धो ऽसि दानवपते परितुष्टो ऽस्मि ते ऽन्धक वरं वरय भद्रं ते यमिच्छसि विनाम्बिकाम्

Transliteration

siddho 'si dānavapate parituṣṭo 'smi te 'ndhaka varaṃ varaya bhadraṃ te yamicchasi vināmbikām

Translation

हे दानवपते, तुम सिद्ध हो। हे अन्धक, मैं तुमसे प्रसन्न हूँ। वर माँगो—तुम्हारा कल्याण हो—जो चाहो, परन्तु अम्बिका को छोड़कर।

Speakers

• Īśāna/Śiva (implied) addressing Andhaka

Primary Deities

• Shiva
• Ambika (Parvati)

Key Themes

• Power of tapas
• Limits of boons (vara-maryādā)
• Ambikā’s inviolability
• Seed of Andhaka’s transgression

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Ambikā explicitly excluded from the range of boons?

The verse establishes a boundary (maryādā) around divine sovereignty and marital/śakti integrity: Ambikā is not an object to be granted. This exclusion also foreshadows Andhaka’s later obsession, making the boon-scene the narrative hinge for his eventual adharma.

What does ‘siddho ’si’ imply about Andhaka’s practice?

It indicates completion and efficacy of austerity (tapas-siddhi). In Purāṇic idiom, such success compels even great deities to appear and offer a boon, but the boon remains constrained by cosmic order and the deity’s own dharma.

Does this verse contain any tirtha/geographical data typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

No explicit rivers, forests, lakes, or pilgrimage-sites are named here; the verse is primarily theological and narrative (boon-granting) rather than geographical.