Vamana Purana — Battle at Mandara, Shloka 58

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

Devanagari script

तमापतन्तं ज्वलनप्रकाशं गमः समीक्ष्यैव महासुरेन्द्रम् तं पट्टिशं भ्राम्य जघान मूर्ध्नि कार्तस्वरं विस्वरमुन्नदन्तम् // वम्प्_42.57 तस्मिन् हते समाविध्य तुरङ्गकन्धरः बबन्ध वीरः सह पट्टिशेन गणेश्वरं चाप्यथ नन्दिषेणम्

Transliteration

tamāpatantaṃ jvalanaprakāśaṃ gamaḥ samīkṣyaiva mahāsurendram taṃ paṭṭiśaṃ bhrāmya jaghāna mūrdhni kārtasvaraṃ visvaramunnadantam // VamP_42.57 tasmin hate samāvidhya turaṅgakandharaḥ babandha vīraḥ saha paṭṭiśena gaṇeśvaraṃ cāpyatha nandiṣeṇam

Translation

Vendo o grande senhor dos asuras arremeter, fulgurante como o fogo, o guerreiro da gaṇa fez girar o paṭṭiśa e golpeou a cabeça de Kārttasvara, que bramia em alta voz. Morto ele, o herói Turaṅgakandhara avançou e capturou Gaṇeśvara e também Nandiṣeṇa, pela força do combate com o paṭṭiśa.

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic voice
• traditionally Pulastya) addressing Nārada

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Rudra)
• Gaṇa-host (Śiva’s attendants)

Key Themes

• Andhaka-vadha cycle
• Combat escalation and hero-killing
• Capture of commanders
• Sound-and-light battle imagery (roar, flame-like radiance)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is the attacker described as ‘blazing like fire’?

‘Jvalana-prakāśa’ is a standard epic-Purāṇic simile for tejas (martial radiance). It conveys both physical splendor and the terrifying energy (raudra-bhāva) of an asura-champion entering combat.

How should we understand ‘bound with the paṭṭiśa’?

Purāṇic battle diction can compress actions: the paṭṭiśa is the instrument of overpowering; the binding likely occurs after subduing them in close combat, with the phrase indicating capture ‘by means of’ the weapon/force rather than literal tying with the axe.

Are Gaṇeśvara and Nandiṣeṇa deities or commanders?

Here they function as named leaders within Śiva’s gaṇa hierarchy. ‘Gaṇeśvara’ can be a title (‘lord of gaṇas’) and not necessarily the elephant-headed Gaṇeśa; Nandiṣeṇa is a gaṇa associated with Nandin/Śiva’s retinue, appearing as a battlefield commander.