Vamana Purana — Shukra's Samjivani, Shloka 85

Shukra’s Saṃjīvanī, Shiva’s Containment of the Asuras, and Indra’s Recovery of Power

Devanagari script

सुन्दं शैलादिरूपस्थमवष्टम्याविशत् ततः तं दृष्ट्वा मालिनीं प्राह सुयशां विजयां जयाम्

Transliteration

sundaṃ śailādirūpasthamavaṣṭamyāviśat tataḥ taṃ dṛṣṭvā mālinīṃ prāha suyaśāṃ vijayāṃ jayām

Translation

ततः शैलादिरूपस्थं सुन्दमवष्टभ्य सः पुनराविशत्। तं च दृष्ट्वा मालिनीं प्राह—“सुयशे, विजये, जये” इति।

Speakers

• Narrator reports Andhaka’s action; Andhaka speaks to Mālinī (direct address begins).

Primary Deities

• Shiva (implied by setting)
• Parvati (implied by household context)

Key Themes

• Asuric force and intimidation
• Shiva’s household/attendants
• Use of honorific epithets as rhetorical strategy
• Escalation toward confrontation

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is Mālinī here—goddess, attendant, or personification?

Within Purāṇic Śaiva settings, Mālinī commonly appears as a named female figure associated with Śiva’s abode—often an attendant or a person within the divine household. The verse itself does not define her ontology; it only marks her as a recognized figure whom Andhaka addresses directly.

Why does Andhaka call her ‘Suyaśā, Vijayā, Jayā’?

These function as laudatory epithets (‘well-renowned’, ‘victory’, ‘triumph’) and may also echo attendant-name clusters found in Purāṇic lists. In narrative terms, the flattering address can be read as a tactic—softening or manipulating before coercion or inquiry.

What is implied by Sunda taking a ‘mountain-like form’?

It indicates a display of asuric māyā or shape-shifting power—assuming a massive, immovable form. Andhaka’s ability to seize/overpower him despite that form underscores Andhaka’s dominance and the intensifying threat within the sacred precinct.