Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 40

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

Devanagari script

तस्यासृगुल्बणं ब्रह्मञ्छूलभेदादवापतत् येनाकष्ठं महादेवो निमग्नः सप्तमूर्तिमान्

Transliteration

tasyāsṛgulbaṇaṃ brahmañchūlabhedādavāpatat yenākaṣṭhaṃ mahādevo nimagnaḥ saptamūrtimān

Translation

اے برہمن! نیزے (شول) کے چھید سے بنے زخم سے اس کا خون تیز دھاروں کی طرح بہہ پڑا؛ اسی خون کے سیلاب میں سات صورتوں والے مہادیو شُول کے لکڑی کے دستے تک ڈوب گئے۔

Speakers

• Narrator addressing a Brāhmaṇa interlocutor ("brahman")

Primary Deities

• Shiva
• Bhairava

Key Themes

• Hyperbolic battle imagery
• Divine epithets (saptamūrti)
• Symbolism of blood-flood
• Inevitability of divine victory

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What does “ākāṣṭham” mean here?

Ākāṣṭham literally means “up to the wood.” In context it indicates that the outpouring was so great that Śiva is described as immersed up to the wooden shaft/handle portion—an intentional exaggeration to convey the enormity of the blood-flow.

How should “saptamūrtimān” be understood?

It is an epithet of Śiva indicating a set of seven manifestations/aspects recognized in various Śaiva traditions. Here it functions to elevate the scene: even the many-formed Mahādeva is depicted amid the overwhelming torrent, highlighting the cosmic scale of the combat.

Is the blood-flood motif connected to other Purāṇic themes?

Yes. Purāṇas often use blood-flood imagery to express the near-limitless vitality granted by demonic boons and the consequent need for a divine, extraordinary countermeasure—setting up subsequent transformative events (e.g., emergence of beings from divine perspiration or energy).