Vamana Purana — Battle at Mandara, Shloka 18

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

Devanagari script

तच्छंभुवचनं श्रुत्वा शैलादिः प्राह संकरम् कः संदेहो महादेव यत् त्वं जयसि शात्रवान्

Transliteration

tacchaṃbhuvacanaṃ śrutvā śailādiḥ prāha saṃkaram kaḥ saṃdeho mahādeva yat tvaṃ jayasi śātravān

Translation

Nang marinig ang pananalita ni Śambhu, sinabi ni Śailādi kay Śaṅkara: “Anong pag-aalinlangan pa, O Mahādeva, na ikaw ay magwawagi laban sa mga kaaway?”

Speakers

• Śailādi (a gaṇa leader/attendant) speaking to Śiva (Śaṅkara/Mahādeva)

Primary Deities

• Śiva (Śambhu/Śaṅkara/Mahādeva)

Key Themes

• Devotional confidence in Śiva’s supremacy
• Gaṇa loyalty and morale
• Inevitability of divine victory
• Purāṇic battle rhetoric

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Is this verse a formal stuti (hymn) or simple dialogue?

It is dialogue, but it carries stuti-like force: the rhetorical question ‘what doubt is there?’ functions as praise of Śiva’s invincibility and as morale-building for the gaṇas.

Why are multiple names of Śiva used (Śambhu, Śaṅkara, Mahādeva) in a single exchange?

Purāṇic style layers epithets to highlight different theological facets simultaneously—benevolence (Śambhu), auspicious power (Śaṅkara), and supreme divinity (Mahādeva)—strengthening the assurance of victory.

Does the absence of geography here conflict with the Vāmana Purāṇa’s reputation as a geography-oriented text?

No. The Vāmana Purāṇa alternates between tīrtha/geographical catalogues and mythic narratives (like Andhaka-vadha). This unit is narrative-theological, so it foregrounds omens, command, and devotion rather than place-names.