Vamana Purana — Battle at Mandara, Shloka 38

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

Devanagari script

तां बध्यमानां स्वचमूं समीक्ष्यचबलिर्बली मारुततुल्यवेगः गदां समाविध्य जघान मूर्ध्नि विनायकं कुम्भतटे करे च

Transliteration

tāṃ badhyamānāṃ svacamūṃ samīkṣyacabalirbalī mārutatulyavegaḥ gadāṃ samāvidhya jaghāna mūrdhni vināyakaṃ kumbhataṭe kare ca

Translation

Seeing his own army being bound/overpowered, mighty Bali—swift as the wind—whirled his mace and struck Vināyaka on the head, on the temple of the elephant (his cheek/forehead), and on the hand as well.

Speakers

• Narrator describing Bali’s counterattack against Vināyaka; direct interlocutors not explicit in the given verse.

Primary Deities

• Vināyaka (Gaṇeśa)
• Shiva (implied through gaṇa affiliation)

Key Themes

• Asura kingship and valor (Bali as balī)
• Iconic deity in battle narrative (Vināyaka)
• Martial imagery (mace combat)
• Reversal/counterstroke motif

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Does this verse portray Gaṇeśa as physically elephant-headed?

Yes. The strike locations include ‘kumbha-taṭa’, a term used for an elephant’s temple/cheek region, strongly implying Vināyaka’s elephantine head in the narrative’s physical description.

What is meant by Bali’s army being ‘badhyamānā’ (bound)?

The term can indicate literal binding/capturing (as by nooses, fetters, or magical restraints) or more generally being subdued and immobilized in battle. In gaṇa warfare, both physical and supernatural restraints are common narrative devices.

Why emphasize ‘māruta-tulya-vega’ (wind-like speed)?

It marks Bali as an exceptional warrior whose counterattack is sudden and forceful, a standard epic epithet that also heightens the drama of striking a major deity-figure like Vināyaka.