Vamana Purana — Battle at Mandara, Shloka 25

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

Devanagari script

चतुरङ्गबलं दृष्ट्वा हन्यमानं गणेश्वरैः क्रोधान्वितस्तुहुण्डस्तु वेगोनाबिससार ह

Transliteration

caturaṅgabalaṃ dṛṣṭvā hanyamānaṃ gaṇeśvaraiḥ krodhānvitastuhuṇḍastu vegonābisasāra ha

Translation

Melihat bala tentera empat angkatan (catur-aṅga) itu dibinasakan oleh para penguasa gaṇa, Huṇḍa yang diliputi amarah pun menerjang ke hadapan dengan kelajuan yang besar.

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic sūta-style narration) describing the battle to the listening sages (frame not explicit in the given excerpt).

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Rudra)
• Gaṇeśvaras (Śiva’s gaṇa-chiefs)

Key Themes

• Deva–Asura conflict
• Valor and wrath in battle
• Protection by Śiva’s gaṇas

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does “caturaṅgabala” signify in Purāṇic battle descriptions?

It is a conventional epic-military term for a complete army composed of four arms: foot-soldiers, horsemen, chariots, and elephants—signaling a full-scale, royal-grade force.

Who are the “gaṇeśvaras” here—does it mean Gaṇeśa?

Here gaṇeśvara means ‘lord among the gaṇas’ (Śiva’s attendant hosts). It is not a direct reference to the deity Gaṇeśa, but to gaṇa-chiefs fighting on Rudra’s side.

What is the narrative function of Huṇḍa’s sudden rush?

It marks a tactical escalation: when the organized fourfold army collapses under gaṇa assault, a named champion (Huṇḍa) enters personally, shifting the scene from mass combat to hero-versus-host engagement.