Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 55

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

Devanagari script

निशाचरा उग्रमुपार्चयन्ति भवेति पुण्याः पितरो नमन्ति दासो ऽस्मि तुभ्यं हर पाहि मह्यं पापक्षयं मे कुरु लोकनाथ

Transliteration

niśācarā ugramupārcayanti bhaveti puṇyāḥ pitaro namanti dāso 'smi tubhyaṃ hara pāhi mahyaṃ pāpakṣayaṃ me kuru lokanātha

Translation

The night-roaming beings worship you as the Fierce One; the virtuous Fathers bow to you as ‘Bhava.’ I am your servant—O Hara, protect me. O Lord of the world, bring about the destruction of my sins.

Speakers

• A devotee/supplicant addressing Śiva with a personal plea for protection and purification.

Primary Deities

• Śiva
• Pitṛs (ancestral deities/collective)

Key Themes

• Sin-destruction (pāpa-kṣaya)
• Devotion as service (dāsya-bhāva)
• Śiva’s accessibility to all beings (including niśācaras and Pitṛs)
• Protection (rakṣā) through stuti

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why are niśācaras and Pitṛs both mentioned in the same breath?

The verse deliberately spans extremes—fearsome nocturnal beings and revered ancestors—to show that all orders of existence acknowledge Śiva, reinforcing his universality and the devotee’s confidence in seeking refuge.

What does ‘Bhava’ signify as a name of Śiva here?

Bhava can denote the source and process of becoming (saṃsāra) and, by extension, the Lord who both governs worldly existence and grants release from it—hence the immediate request for pāpa-kṣaya.

Is ‘pāpa-kṣaya’ meant as ritual expiation or inner transformation?

In Purāṇic idiom it includes both: removal of karmic demerit through devotion, praise, and tīrtha/vrata contexts, and the inner purification that makes liberation-oriented knowledge and conduct possible.