Vamana Purana — Shukra's Samjivani, Shloka 121

Shukra’s Saṃjīvanī, Shiva’s Containment of the Asuras, and Indra’s Recovery of Power

Devanagari script

पतमानाद् द्विपेन्द्रात् तु शक्रश्चाप्लुत्य वेगवान् त्यक्त्वैव मन्दरगिरिं पपात वसुधातले

Transliteration

patamānād dvipendrāt tu śakraścāplutya vegavān tyaktvaiva mandaragiriṃ papāta vasudhātale

Translation

{"scene_description": "The devas, led by Brahmā (Pitāmaha), behold the gaṇa-lord being struck repeatedly by mighty dānavas, creating a tableau of divine concern.", "primary_figures": ["Brahmā (Pitāmaha)", "devas", "gaṇādhipa/gaṇanātha", "mighty dānavas"], "setting": "Split-level composition: devas in the sky or on a raised vantage, battlefield below where the gaṇa-lord is battered.", "color_palette": ["sky blue", "gold", "ash white", "dark maroon"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore style, Brahmā and devas in upper register with gold-leaf halos, below them the gaṇa-lord under assault by dānavas, ornate borders, strong iconographic clarity, dramatic yet devotional", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature, layered scene with devas watching from clouds, Brahmā identifiable by four faces, below a dense melee around the gaṇa-lord, soft gradients and fine detailing", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural, devas arranged in a frieze above, Brahmā prominent, below the gaṇa-lord being struck, bold outlines, natural pigments, temple narrative composition", "pattachitra_prompt": "Pattachitra, two-tier narrative panel: devas with Brahmā above, battle below, patterned clouds and borders, flat colors, clear storytelling emphasis"}

Speakers

• Narrator describing sequential battle events.

Primary Deities

• Indra (Śakra)

Key Themes

• Cosmic-scale battle setting
• Fall of a deity from an elevated locus
• Mythic geography as stage for combat

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Mandara Mountain mentioned here?

Mandara functions as a recognizable cosmic landmark and elevated battleground in Purāṇic imagination. Mentioning it signals that the combat occurs on a grand, supra-human stage, and that Indra’s fall is correspondingly dramatic.

Does ‘tyaktvaiva mandaragirim’ mean Indra was residing on Mandara?

It can mean he had taken position upon/near Mandara as a strategic vantage point during the fight. The phrasing emphasizes a forced retreat—he ‘abandons’ that support and is driven down to earth.

Is this fall a literal descent to Bhūmi or a poetic way of stating defeat?

Purāṇic battle narration often blends literal and emblematic registers. Here it is both: a physical fall (papāta) and a narrative marker of Indra’s loss of control and status in that moment.