Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 96

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

Devanagari script

एवं पुरा दानवसत्तमं तं महेश्वरेणाथ विरूपदृष्ट्या कृत्वैव रूपं भयदं च भैरवं भृङ्गित्वमीसेन कृतं स्वभक्त्या // वम्प्_44.95 एतत् तवोक्तं हरकीर्तिवर्धनं पुण्यं पवित्रं शुभदं महर्षे संकीर्तनीयं द्विजसत्तमेषु धर्मायुरारोग्यधनैषिणा सदा

Transliteration

evaṃ purā dānavasattamaṃ taṃ maheśvareṇātha virūpadṛṣṭyā kṛtvaiva rūpaṃ bhayadaṃ ca bhairavaṃ bhṛṅgitvamīsena kṛtaṃ svabhaktyā // VamP_44.95 etat tavoktaṃ harakīrtivardhanaṃ puṇyaṃ pavitraṃ śubhadaṃ maharṣe saṃkīrtanīyaṃ dvijasattameṣu dharmāyurārogyadhanaiṣiṇā sadā

Translation

{"scene_description": "A cluster of motherless divine infants weep; Pitāmaha (four-faced Brahmā) raises a calming hand and blesses them, transforming them into radiant Maruts with wind-banners and thunder emblems.", "primary_figures": ["Brahma (Pitāmaha)", "newly-formed Maruts"], "setting": "Celestial assembly space with swirling cloud motifs and lotus-throne imagery", "color_palette": ["gold", "white", "sky-blue", "silver-gray", "vermillion accents"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore style, gold-leaf heavy, Brahma on lotus throne with four faces, blessing a group of childlike beings transforming into Maruts with cloud halos, ornate jewelry, temple arch, rich reds and greens, high iconographic clarity", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature, soft pastels, Brahma gently consoling weeping celestial children near stylized clouds, delicate linework, minimal background, lyrical mood, subtle lightning motifs", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural, bold outlines, flat natural pigments, Brahma with four faces and elaborate crown, Maruts emerging with wind-streamers and thunder symbols, cloud bands and lotus patterns, temple-wall composition", "pattachitra_prompt": "Pattachitra scroll style, narrative panel, Brahma restraining and blessing crying children who become Maruts, decorative borders, stylized clouds and waves, natural dyes, rhythmic folk detailing"}

Speakers

• Narrative voice within the māhātmya context (chapter conclusion); the second half addresses a ‘maharṣi’ (great seer)
• implying a listener praising the seer’s narration (likely within Pulastya–Nārada frame in surrounding chapters).

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Maheśvara/Hara/Īśa)
• Bhairava (Śiva’s fierce aspect)
• Bhṛṅgī (Śiva’s gaṇa/devotee)

Key Themes

• Power of Śiva’s grace and chastisement (glance as transformative)
• Devotion (bhakti) as the cause of elevation
• Śiva-kīrti (praise of Hara)
• Phalaśruti: benefits of recitation (dharma, longevity, health, wealth)
• Didactic closure to a tīrtha/narrative unit

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is ‘Bhṛṅgī’, and what does ‘bhṛṅgītvam’ signify here?

Bhṛṅgī is a famed gaṇa (attendant) of Śiva, often portrayed as an emblem of intense, single-pointed devotion to Śiva. ‘Bhṛṅgītvam’ here indicates being admitted into that exalted devotional status—an elevation granted by Īśa due to steadfast bhakti, even after a punitive/transformative episode.

Why is Bhairava mentioned—does it mean the Dānava became Bhairava?

The verse says the Dānava was made into a ‘bhayada’ (fear-causing) form ‘like Bhairava’ (bhairava-rūpa). It signals a terrifying, Śaiva-fierce transformation caused by Śiva’s glance, not that he became the deity Bhairava himself.

What is the function of the second half of the passage?

It is a phalaśruti-style endorsement: the narration is declared purifying and auspicious, and its recitation is recommended for those seeking dharma and worldly well-being (longevity, health, wealth). This is typical of Purāṇic units that close a māhātmya or episode by prescribing recitation as a religious act.