Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 73

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

Devanagari script

इत्येवमुक्त्वा वरदः शूलग्रादवतार्य तम् निर्मार्ज्य निजहस्तेन चक्रे निर्व्रणमन्धकम्

Transliteration

ityevamuktvā varadaḥ śūlagrādavatārya tam nirmārjya nijahastena cakre nirvraṇamandhakam

Translation

Having spoken thus, the boon-giver (Śiva), lowering him down from the tip of the trident, wiped him with his own hand and made Andhaka free from wounds.

Speakers

• Narrator voice (describing Śiva’s act)

Primary Deities

• Shiva

Key Themes

• Compassion after conquest
• Ritual-like purification by divine touch
• Healing as sign of acceptance into Śiva’s fold
• Transformation from enemy to attendant

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Andhaka described as being on the ‘tip of the trident’?

It recalls the combat motif where Śiva impales or subdues the adversary with the śūla. The subsequent lowering and healing dramatize the shift from punishment to grace.

What is the significance of Śiva wiping Andhaka with his own hand?

The gesture functions like a purificatory act: divine touch removes impurity and injury, marking acceptance and reintegration. It externalizes the inner change requested in the prior verses.

Does ‘nirvraṇa’ imply resurrection or merely healing?

In this narrative register it indicates complete restoration—woundlessness—after violent subjugation. The emphasis is not medical detail but the theological point: Śiva’s anugraha can fully restore the repentant.