Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 37

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

Devanagari script

भूमिस्थाद् रुधिराज्जातो भैरवः शूलभूषितः ख्यातो ललितराजेति सौभाञ्जनसमप्रभः

Transliteration

bhūmisthād rudhirājjāto bhairavaḥ śūlabhūṣitaḥ khyāto lalitarājeti saubhāñjanasamaprabhaḥ

Translation

svāyaṃbhuvasya putro 'bhūnmanornāma priyavrataḥ tasyāsīt savano nāma putrastrailokyapūjitaḥ

Speakers

• Narrator (likely Pulastya) addressing a sage (implicit addressee in the chapter’s dialogue-frame)

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Rudra/Bhairava)

Key Themes

• Emanation theology (blood-to-deity)
• Bhairava nomenclature
• Iconography (trident-bearing)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the significance of Bhairava arising from blood on the ground (bhūmistha-rudhira)?

It differentiates streams/sources of emanation: not only from the wound itself but also from blood that touches the earth, multiplying Bhairava-forms and emphasizing the pervasive spread of Śiva’s śakti in the battlefield setting.

Why is the comparison made to saubhāñjana (collyrium)?

Saubhāñjana is a dark, glossy substance used to line the eyes; the simile can suggest a deep, intense, lustrous hue—often associated with fierce, awe-inspiring forms—rather than a bright, golden radiance.

Does “Lalitarāja” imply a gentle Bhairava?

Not necessarily. Lalita here functions primarily as a proper name within a catalog of Bhairava-forms; Purāṇic lists often juxtapose ‘graceful’ epithets with fierce iconography to convey the deity’s totality beyond a single mood.