Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 56

Andhaka’s Defeat, the Bhairava Manifestation, and His Redemption as Bhṛṅgī Gaṇapati

Devanagari script

भावंस्त्रिदेवस्त्रियुगस्त्रिधर्मा त्रिपुष्करश्चासि विभो त्रिनेत्र त्रय्यारुणिस्त्रितिव्ययात्मन् पुनीहि मां त्वां शरणं गतो ऽस्मि

Transliteration

bhāvaṃstridevastriyugastridharmā tripuṣkaraścāsi vibho trinetra trayyāruṇistritivyayātman punīhi māṃ tvāṃ śaraṇaṃ gato 'smi

Translation

ਹੇ ਭਵ, ਤੂੰ ਤ੍ਰਿਦੇਵਾਂ ਦਾ ਅਧਿਪਤੀ ਹੈਂ; ਤੂੰ ਤ੍ਰਿਯੁਗ ਅਤੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਧਰਮ ਦਾ ਅਧਿਸ਼ਠਾਤਾ ਹੈਂ। ਹੇ ਵਿਭੋ, ਹੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਨੇਤਰ, ਤੂੰ ਤ੍ਰਿਪੁਸ਼ਕਰ ਵੀ ਹੈਂ; ਤੂੰ ਤ੍ਰਯੀ (ਤਿੰਨ ਵੇਦਾਂ) ਦਾ ਅਰੁਣੀ ਹੈਂ, ਅਤੇ ਤੇਰਾ ਆਤਮ-ਸਵਰੂਪ ਤ੍ਰਿਵਿਧ ਹੈ। ਮੈਨੂੰ ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਕਰ—ਮੈਂ ਤੇਰੀ ਸ਼ਰਨ ਆਇਆ ਹਾਂ।

Speakers

• A devotee/supplicant addressing Śiva (Śaṃbhu/Bhava/Trinetra) in a stotra embedded in the chapter’s tīrtha narrative.

Primary Deities

• Śiva (Bhava/Trinetra)

Key Themes

• Śiva-stuti
• Refuge (śaraṇāgati)
• Purification (pāpa-kṣaya)
• Vedic legitimacy of Śiva (Trayī)
• Triadic theology (threefold epithets)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does the verse repeatedly use ‘tri-’ (threefold) epithets for Śiva?

This is a conventional Purāṇic stotra style that compresses theology into triads: Śiva is praised as transcending and governing cosmic triplicities (three worlds, three Vedas, three times/ages, three modes of dharma). The repetition signals completeness and sovereignty over structured reality.

What is meant by ‘tri-puṣkara’ in a Vāmana Purāṇa context?

Puṣkara is a famed tīrtha complex (classically associated with sacred lakes). ‘Tri-puṣkara’ can denote a triad of Puṣkara tīrthas (often spoken of as three lakes/levels or three sanctified Puṣkara sites). In a geography-forward Purāṇa, such epithets often function as pointers to tīrtha networks rather than mere ornament.

How should ‘trayy-āruṇi’ be understood—does it make Śiva a Vedic sage?

Not literally a human sage; it is an honorific asserting Śiva’s Vedic rootedness and authority over the ‘Trayī’ (three Vedas). Purāṇic Śaiva stotras frequently emphasize that Śiva is not outside Vedic order but its inner ground and revealer.