Varaha Purana 27.12 — Adhyaya 27, Shloka 12
The Slaying of Andhaka and the Manifestation of the Eight Mother-Goddesses from Divine Afflictions
बलेन चतुरङ्गेण हन्तुकामो भवं मृधे । तस्य भार्यां गिरिसुतां हर्तुमिच्छन् ससाधनः ॥ २७.१२ ॥
balena caturaṅgeṇa hantukāmo bhavaṃ mṛdhe | tasya bhāryāṃ girisutāṃ hartum icchan sasādhanaḥ || 27.12 ||
ചതുരംഗസൈന്യത്തിന്റെ ബലത്തോടെ യുദ്ധത്തിൽ ഭവനെ വധിക്കുവാൻ അവൻ ആഗ്രഹിച്ചു; കൂടാതെ ആവശ്യമായ ഉപാധികളോടെ ഭവന്റെ ഭാര്യയായ ഗിരിസുതയെ അപഹരിക്കുവാനും ശ്രമിച്ചു।
Varāha (default narrative voice within Varāha–Pṛthivī dialogue framework)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"rajaniti","instruction_summary":"Royal/war ambition unrestrained by dharma—seeking another’s wife and unjust battle—constitutes adharma and invites ruin.","karmic_consequence":"Abduction-intent (paradāra-haraṇa) and aggressive violence lead to loss of merit, enmity of devas, and eventual downfall in narrative logic."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"dharma-adharma discernment","core_concept":"Desire (kāma) allied with power (bala) becomes destructive when it targets paradāra and seeks violence for domination.","practical_application":"Treat others’ relationships and bodily autonomy as inviolable; restrain ambition with ethical limits even when one has resources and force."}
Subject Matter: ["Mythic Narrative","Conflict","Royal Ambition","Ethical Tension (violence and abduction)"]
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bībhatsa
Type: mythic-battlefield
Related Themes: 27.27.11 (arrival); 27.27.13 (devas align with Rudra)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Andhaka stands before a massive caturaṅga-bala—elephants, chariots, cavalry, infantry—declaring intent to kill Bhava and seize Girisutā.","item_prompts":["fourfold army elements clearly separated","Andhaka in commanding posture","distant silhouette of Bhava’s domain (Kailāsa-like)","suggested presence of Pārvatī as ‘girisutā’ (veiled/at a remove)","weapons and abduction paraphernalia (ropes, chariots)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: regimented army bands; Andhaka with fierce eyes and heavy ornaments; Girisutā hinted in a protected inner space, emphasizing violation-threat.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate army with gold highlights; Andhaka central with embossed jewelry; moral contrast via luminous sanctum for Girisutā vs darkened army field.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined depiction of caturaṅga with elegant detailing; Andhaka’s expression conveys kāma + krodha; subdued but clear ethical tension.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: stylized procession of troops in rhythmic lines; narrative clarity—Andhaka pointing toward Bhava’s abode, with Girisutā symbolized by mountain-flower motifs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"martial-and-morally-dark","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium-fast","voice_tone":"hard, accusatory emphasis on ‘hantukāmo’ and ‘hartumicchan’."}
FAQs
It preserves a Purāṇic narrative style that integrates older epic-era motifs—organized warfare (caturaṅga) and dynastic rivalry—useful for studying how later Sanskrit texts framed political power, violence, and social transgression within mythic history.
No specific place-name appears in this verse; the only geographic marker is the epithet “girisuta” (“mountain-born”), a traditional designation for Pārvatī linked broadly to Himalayan mountain symbolism rather than a single identifiable site.
The verse depicts intentions of killing and abduction as narrative actions that set up moral and karmic consequences in Purāṇic storytelling, implicitly foregrounding the ethical instability of coercive power used against persons and social bonds.
Ask anything about this verse
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.