Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Counsel to Andhaka, Shloka 60

Shukra’s Curse on King Danda and Prahlada’s Counsel to Andhaka on Dharma

Devanagari script

त्र्यम्बकं स पराजेतुं कृतबुद्धिर्विनिर्ययौ जम्भः कुजम्भो हुण्डश्च तुहुण्डः शम्बरो बलिः

Transliteration

tryambakaṃ sa parājetuṃ kṛtabuddhirviniryayau jambhaḥ kujambho huṇḍaśca tuhuṇḍaḥ śambaro baliḥ

Translation

Tendo decidido derrotar Tryambaka (Śiva), ele partiu. (Com ele foram os daityas:) Jambha, Kujambha, Huṇḍa, Tuhuṇḍa, Śambara e Bali.

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic voice) describing events; specific interlocutors not stated in the given excerpt.

Primary Deities

• Shiva

Key Themes

• Andhaka-vadha cycle
• Mustering of daityas/asuras
• Conflict with Śiva (Tryambaka)
• Epic-style cataloguing of warriors

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does the text list many daityas by name instead of describing actions?

Purāṇic battle narratives often use “catalogues” to signal the scale of the conflict and to connect local episodes to a wider mythic network of well-known asura lineages. The names function as markers of tradition and memory, not merely as characters in a single scene.

Does “Tryambaka” here indicate a specific shrine-form of Śiva or simply the deity in general?

In this verse it functions as a standard epithet of Śiva (“three-eyed”), emphasizing his cosmic power in battle. Without accompanying toponymy (tīrtha/forest names) it is safest to read it as the deity rather than a localized icon.

Bali is famous in the Vāmana story—why is he appearing in an Andhaka-related conflict?

Purāṇas frequently reuse prominent daitya figures across multiple cycles. The appearance of “Bali” in a martial roster can reflect either the same celebrated king placed into a broader asura coalition, or a traditional name used for a daitya of Bali’s lineage; the verse itself does not disambiguate.