Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 7

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

Devanagari script

ते यत्नतो ऽपि तुरघाः प्रेर्यमाणा हरं प्रति जघनेष्ववसीदन्तः कृच्छ्रे णोहुश्च तं रथम्

Transliteration

te yatnato 'pi turaghāḥ preryamāṇā haraṃ prati jaghaneṣvavasīdantaḥ kṛcchre ṇohuśca taṃ ratham

Translation

यत्नेनापि प्रेर्यमाणास्ते तुरगाः हरं प्रति, जघनेष्ववसीदन्तः कृच्छ्रेण तं रथं नोहुः।

Speakers

• Narrator to the sage-interlocutor; describing the horses’ failure as they are driven toward Hara.

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Hara)

Key Themes

• Futility of force against Shiva
• Battle tension
• Divine awe causing physical collapse

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the narrative point of the horses ‘sinking on their haunches’?

It signals a reversal: despite being ‘mahā-vegāḥ’ and whipped forward, the approach to Hara induces collapse. In Shaiva battle cycles, such bodily failure often indicates the overwhelming presence (tejas) of Shiva or the terror of his hosts.

Is ‘ūhuḥ’ best read as ‘carried’ or ‘dragged’?

Given ‘kṛcchreṇa’ and ‘avasīdantaḥ’, the sense is ‘dragged/managed to haul’ rather than effortless carrying. The syntax portrays strained motion rather than normal chariot-running.

Does ‘haraṃ prati’ imply a direct assault on Shiva?

Yes, it frames the chariot’s movement as oriented toward Hara, i.e., toward confrontation. The verse prepares for the next line where the chariot reaches the ‘pramatha’ host, Shiva’s attendant forces.