Vamana Purana — Battle at Mandara, Shloka 54

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

Devanagari script

ते वध्यमानाः प्रमथैर्दैत्याश्चापि पराङ्मुखाःष भूयो निवृत्ता बलिनः कार्त्तस्वरपुरोगमाः

Transliteration

te vadhyamānāḥ pramathairdaityāścāpi parāṅmukhāḥṣa bhūyo nivṛttā balinaḥ kārttasvarapurogamāḥ

Translation

പ്രമഥന്മാർ വധിച്ചുകൊണ്ടിരിക്കെ ദൈത്യരും പിന്മാറി; എങ്കിലും കാർത്തസ്വരന്റെ നേതൃത്വത്തിൽ ആ ബലവാന്മാർ വീണ്ടും തിരികെ വന്നു.

Speakers

• Narratorial voice continuing the battle description.

Primary Deities

• Śiva

Key Themes

• Asura resilience and regrouping
• Pramatha/gaṇa ferocity
• Battle reversals (retreat and return)
• Command structure among Asuras

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Are ‘pramatha’ and ‘gaṇa’ the same here?

They overlap. ‘Pramathas’ are a well-known fierce subset/class of Śiva’s attendants; in battle narration Purāṇas often use pramatha/gaṇa interchangeably to emphasize their terrifying, disruptive nature.

What does parāṅmukhāḥ imply—cowardice or strategy?

Parāṅmukha literally means ‘turned away’. In epic-Purāṇic battle style it can indicate a momentary rout or tactical withdrawal; the next hemistich (‘bhūyo nivṛttā’) explicitly frames it as a regrouping and return.

Who is Kārttasvara in this context?

Kārttasvara is presented as the leader (purogama) of the returning Daitya force. The name suggests ‘golden splendor’ (kārttasvara = gold), a common Asura epithet/name indicating brilliance, wealth, or martial radiance.