Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 43

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

Devanagari script

स बालस्तषितो ऽत्यर्थं पपौ रुधिरमान्धकम् कन्या चोत्कृत्य संजातमसृग्विलिलिहे ऽद्भुता

Transliteration

sa bālastaṣito 'tyarthaṃ papau rudhiramāndhakam kanyā cotkṛtya saṃjātamasṛgvililihe 'dbhutā

Translation

That child, exceedingly thirsty, drank Andhaka’s blood. And a wondrous maiden, having sprung forth, licked up the blood that had come into being after being drawn out.

Speakers

• Narrator continuing the account to a brāhmaṇa interlocutor (vipra)

Primary Deities

• Shiva

Key Themes

• Andhaka-associated blood motif
• Portentous acts indicating demonic/terrific nature
• Emergence of a kanyā as a personified force (possibly śakti/attendant)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who is ‘Andhaka’ here, and why is his blood central?

Andhaka is the famed asura of the Śaiva cycle. His blood becomes narratively significant because, in many tellings, spilled drops can generate further threats; controlling or consuming the blood prevents proliferation and symbolizes containment of adharma.

What is the function of the ‘wondrous maiden’ who licks the blood?

She represents a terrifying, blood-staunching agency—often comparable to fierce śakti-figures in Śaiva myth who neutralize dangerous blood-emanations. The text here emphasizes marvel (adbhuta) and efficacy rather than domestic femininity.

Does ‘utkṛtya’ imply violence or ritual extraction?

In this narrative register, it most naturally conveys forceful drawing out/cutting out—an image of drastic intervention. It need not be a Vedic ritual term here; it serves to intensify the scene’s raudra tone.