Shloka 32

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

Devanagari script

स बद्धो बाहुपासेन बलादाकृष्य दानवम् समाजघान शिरशि कुठारेण महोदरः

Transliteration

sa baddho bāhupāsena balādākṛṣya dānavam samājaghāna śiraśi kuṭhāreṇa mahodaraḥ

Translation

बाहुपाशाने बांधला असतानाही महोदराने बलाने त्या दानवाला ओढून आणून कुऱ्हाडीने त्याच्या मस्तकावर घाव घातला।

Speakers

• Narrator (paurāṇika voice) continuing the combat description.

Key Themes

• Reversal in combat
• Strength despite restraint
• Weapon escalation (axe blow)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

How can Mahodara strike if he is ‘baddha’ (bound)?

The verse highlights heroic resilience: even while restrained, Mahodara uses sheer force (balāt) to pull the opponent into range, converting a disadvantage into a decisive counterattack.

Is ‘kuṭhāra’ merely a weapon detail or a symbolic marker?

Primarily it is a concrete battlefield detail, but axes in Purāṇic diction often signal a ‘cleaving’ or decisive blow—contrasted with blunter weapons like the parigha mentioned earlier.

Does ‘samājaghāna’ imply multiple blows?

The verb can convey a strong, emphatic strike and may also suggest repeated striking; contextually it underscores the severity of the head-blow.