Vamana Purana — Shukra's Samjivani, Shloka 104

Shukra’s Saṃjīvanī, Shiva’s Containment of the Asuras, and Indra’s Recovery of Power

Devanagari script

गणामरगणाश्चासन् नवनागशताधिकाः दानवास्तेन तोयेन संस्पृष्टाश्चाघहारिणा

Transliteration

gaṇāmaragaṇāścāsan navanāgaśatādhikāḥ dānavāstena toyena saṃspṛṣṭāścāghahāriṇā

Translation

Hosts of Gaṇas and Maruts were there, numbering more than nine hundred Nāgas. The Dānavas, touched by that water—water that removes sin—(were affected thereby).

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic voice) describing the battle scene (frame-speakers not explicit in the given excerpt).

Primary Deities

• Indra
• Śiva (implied via Gaṇas)

Key Themes

• Purificatory power of sacred water
• Deva–Asura conflict
• Śaiva martial retinue (Gaṇas)
• Mythic zoology (Nāgas, Maruts)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is meant by ‘aghahāriṇā toya’ in a battle context?

The phrase denotes water endowed with purificatory potency—often sacred water associated with a deity, mantra, or tirtha. In battle narratives, such water can function as a consecrated agent that weakens, burns, or neutralizes demonic forces when they come into contact with it.

Who are the Gaṇas, Maruts, and Nāgas here?

Gaṇas are Śiva’s attendant hosts; Maruts are storm-deities allied with Indra; Nāgas are serpent-beings often counted among powerful non-human classes. The verse emphasizes the scale and diversity of forces present in the conflict.

Does this verse identify a specific tirtha or river?

No. Despite the ‘sin-removing water’ epithet, the verse does not name a river or tirtha; any identification would require surrounding verses that specify the source of the water.