Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

तमापतन्तं भगवान् दृष्ट्वा त्यक्त्वा वृषोत्तमम् शूलपाणिर्गिरिप्रस्थे पदातिः प्रत्यतिष्ठत

Transliteration

tamāpatantaṃ bhagavān dṛṣṭvā tyaktvā vṛṣottamam śūlapāṇirgiriprasthe padātiḥ pratyatiṣṭhata

Translation

അവൻ ആക്രമണത്തിനായി പാഞ്ഞുവരുന്നതു കണ്ടപ്പോൾ, ത്രിശൂലധാരിയായ ഭഗവാൻ തന്റെ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ വൃഷഭത്തെ വിട്ട്, മലയുടെ പാറത്തട്ടിൽ കാൽനടയായി നിലകൊണ്ടു.

Speakers

• Narrator voice (Purāṇic narrator) describing Śiva’s action in the battle scene (no direct speech in the verse).

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Rudra/Bhagavan)
• Nandin (as vṛṣottama, implied)

Key Themes

• Rudra’s martial readiness
• Iconography of Śiva (trident, bull-mount)
• Turning point in combat
• Divine protection of the worlds

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does Śiva ‘abandon the bull’ (vṛṣottama) and stand on foot?

The verse highlights immediacy and tactical resolve: Śiva dismounts to meet a direct charge at close quarters. In Purāṇic battle-poetics, dismounting can signal a decisive, personal engagement rather than a distant or ceremonial confrontation.

Who is the ‘one rushing down’ (āpatantam)?

Within the Andhaka-vadha battle context, it refers to the attacking adversary (commonly Andhaka or a leading asura/foe in that episode). The verse itself does not name him, functioning as a narrative continuation from preceding lines.

Is any specific pilgrimage geography indicated here?

Only a generic ‘mountain-ledge’ (giri-prastha) is mentioned. Unlike the Vāmana Purāṇa’s tīrtha sections that name rivers and sites, this battle verse uses non-specific terrain to stage the encounter.