Vamana Purana — Battle at Mandara, Shloka 41

The Battle at Mandara: Vinayaka, Nandin, and Skanda Rout the Daitya Hosts

Devanagari script

तमापतन्तं भगवान् समीक्ष्य महेश्वरः श्रेष्ठतमं गणानाम् शैलादिमामन्त्र्य वचो बभाषे गच्छस्व दैत्यान् जहि वीर युद्ध

Transliteration

tamāpatantaṃ bhagavān samīkṣya maheśvaraḥ śreṣṭhatamaṃ gaṇānām śailādimāmantrya vaco babhāṣe gacchasva daityān jahi vīra yuddha

Translation

அவன் பாய்ந்து வருவதைப் பார்த்த பகவான் மகேஸ்வரன், கணங்களில் சிறந்த சைலாதியை அழைத்து, “வீரனே, போ; போரில் தைத்யர்களை அழி” என்று கூறினார்।

Speakers

• Śiva (Maheśvara) addressing Śailādi (a chief of the gaṇas).

Primary Deities

• Śiva (Maheśvara)

Key Themes

• Divine command and delegation
• Protection of dharma through battle
• Gaṇa leadership
• Daitya suppression

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is Śailādi in the Purāṇic gaṇa tradition?

Śailādi is presented here as a named gaṇa-chief and ‘the foremost’ among the gaṇas in this episode. Purāṇas often preserve variant rosters of gaṇas; the key point is his role as Śiva’s appointed champion in the immediate combat.

What is the narrative function of Śiva’s brief command?

It marks a tactical shift: rather than Śiva directly engaging, he empowers a gaṇa-hero to counter the daitya assault, highlighting the gaṇas as Śiva’s executive force.

Is “daitya” synonymous with “asura” here?

In many Purāṇic passages, ‘asura’ is a broad category, while ‘daitya’ is a genealogically specific subset (descendants of Diti). In battle narration they can function nearly interchangeably, but ‘daitya’ carries lineage emphasis.