Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 81

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

Devanagari script

विसर्जयामास गणाननुमान्य यथार्हतः गणाश्च शङ्करं दृष्ट्वा स्वं स्वं वाहनमास्थिताः

Transliteration

visarjayāmāsa gaṇānanumānya yathārhataḥ gaṇāśca śaṅkaraṃ dṛṣṭvā svaṃ svaṃ vāhanamāsthitāḥ

Translation

स भगवान् यथार्हतोऽनुमान्य गणान् विसर्जयामास। गणाश्च शङ्करं दृष्ट्वा स्वं स्वं वाहनमास्थिताः।

Speakers

• Sūta (narrator) to Śaunaka and the sages (frame implied)

Primary Deities

• Śiva (Śaṅkara)

Key Themes

• Gaṇa hierarchy and devotion
• Ritual propriety (yathārhataḥ)
• Order restored after conflict
• Śaiva retinue theology

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who are the gaṇas in Purāṇic theology?

Gaṇas are Śiva’s attendant hosts—diverse classes of beings (often yakṣa-like, bhūta-like, or siddha-like) who function as his retinue, guardians, and executors of his will in mythic narratives.

What does ‘yathārhataḥ’ add to the meaning?

It signals dharmic decorum: Śiva does not merely command; he acknowledges merit and proper protocol, dismissing the gaṇas with fitting honor—an ideal of righteous leadership.

Why mention that each gaṇa mounts his own vāhana?

It highlights the organized, differentiated status of Śiva’s attendants. The gaṇas are not a faceless crowd; each has an assigned identity and conveyance, underscoring Śiva’s cosmic administration.