Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 25

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

Devanagari script

वेगेनैवापतन्तं च बिभेदोरसि भैरवः दारुणं सुमहद् रूपं कृत्वा त्रैलोक्यभीषणम्

Transliteration

vegenaivāpatantaṃ ca bibhedorasi bhairavaḥ dāruṇaṃ sumahad rūpaṃ kṛtvā trailokyabhīṣaṇam

Translation

वेगेनाभ्यापतन्तं शत्रुं भैरवोऽपिोरसि प्रहृत्य बिभेद। स दारुणं सुमहद्रूपं कृत्वा त्रैलोक्यं भीषणं चकार।

Speakers

• Narrator voice describing Bhairava’s act and manifestation (no direct speech).

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Bhairava)

Key Themes

• Ugra-theophany (terrible divine manifestation)
• Cosmic sovereignty over the three worlds
• Defeat of demonic aggression
• Śaiva iconography and epithets

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does ‘trailokya’ mean here, and why is Bhairava said to terrify it?

Trailokya denotes the three-tier cosmos (svarga, antarikṣa, pṛthvī). The phrase underscores that Bhairava’s manifestation is not merely battlefield-fearsome but cosmically overwhelming—an assertion of Rudra’s supremacy that shakes all realms.

Is ‘bibheda urasi’ necessarily a literal splitting of the chest?

In Purāṇic martial diction, ‘bibheda’ can denote piercing, cleaving, or violently breaking through defenses. It may be read literally as a devastating blow, while also functioning as a stylized marker of irresistible divine force.

How is Bhairava related to Śiva in this passage?

Bhairava is an aspect-name of Śiva emphasizing terror, protective wrath, and the power to annihilate adharma. The text signals a shift from the mounted, regal Śiva to an intensified, fearsome combat-form.