Vamana Purana — Battle at Mandara, Shloka 50

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

Devanagari script

गणान् सन्दीन् वृषभध्वजांस्तान् धाराभिरेवाम्बुरास्तु शैलान् ते छाद्यमानासुरबामजालैर्विनायकाद्या बलिनो ऽपि समन्तान्

Transliteration

gaṇān sandīn vṛṣabhadhvajāṃstān dhārābhirevāmburāstu śailān te chādyamānāsurabāmajālairvināyakādyā balino 'pi samantān

Translation

{"scene_description": "A formidable warrior-king stands poised with weapons, yet within his chest/heart-lotus are envisioned the lotus-eyed Viṣṇu and Śailanandinī (Pārvatī) seated together as inner deities, indicating hidden causes of his invincibility.", "primary_figures": ["a dharmic warrior (asuVamana Purana,42,51,VamP 42.51,parāṅmukhān vīkṣya gaṇān kumāraḥ śaktyā pṛṣatkāntha vārayitvā tūrṇaṃ sabhabhyetya ripuṃ samīkṣya pragṛhya śaktyā hṛdaye vibheda,पराङ्मुखान् वीक्ष्य गणान् कुमारः शक्त्या पृषत्कान्थ वारयित्वा तूर्णं सभभ्येत्य रिपुं समीक्ष्य प्रगृह्य शक्त्या हृदये विभेद,Andhaka Vadha,Battle Narrative (Heroic Deed of Skanda/Kumāra),Adhyaya 42 (title not provided in input; context: Kumāra’s counterattack),51,parāṅmukhān vīkṣya gaṇān kumāraḥ śaktyā pṛṣatkāntha vārayitvā tūrṇaṃ sabhabhyetya ripuṃ samīkṣya pragṛhya śaktyā hṛdaye vibheda,parāṅmukhān vīkṣya gaṇān kumāraḥ śaktyā pṛṣat-kāntha vārayitvā | tūrṇaṃ sabhām abhyetya ripuṃ samīkṣya pragṛhya śaktyā hṛdaye vibheda ||,Seeing the gaṇas turned away (in retreat)

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic narrator) describing the battle scene (exact interlocutors not specified in input)

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Vṛṣabhadhvaja)
• Ganesha (Vinayaka)
• Skanda/Kumara

Key Themes

• Deva–Asura conflict
• Valor of Śiva’s gaṇas
• Martial imagery and simile
• Overwhelming tactics (jāla)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why are Śiva’s gaṇas compared to mountains struck by torrents?

The simile emphasizes steadiness and endurance: mountains remain unmoved even when battered by heavy rains. Likewise, the gaṇas hold their ground despite intense assault.

What does ‘asura-jāla’ (“Asura net/mesh”) imply in a battle context?

Jāla can denote literal nets or figurative snares—formations, encirclements, or magical devices. The verse suggests the Asuras used enveloping tactics that temporarily obscured or constrained even strong gaṇas.

Does this verse contain pilgrimage geography typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

No. Here the language is epic-battle narration; ‘mountains’ and ‘torrents’ function as poetic comparison rather than named sacred sites.