Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 76

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

Devanagari script

तं दृष्ट्वा दानवपतिं संशुष्कपिशितं रिपुम् गणाधिपत्यमापन्नं प्रशशंसुर्वृषध्वजम्

Transliteration

taṃ dṛṣṭvā dānavapatiṃ saṃśuṣkapiśitaṃ ripum gaṇādhipatyamāpannaṃ praśaśaṃsurvṛṣadhvajam

Translation

اس دانووں کے سردار دشمن کو—جس کا گوشت سوکھ چکا تھا—اور جو گنوں کے سرداروں کے تابع ہو گیا تھا، دیکھ کر انہوں نے وِرشَدھوج (شیو) کی ستائش کی۔

Speakers

• Primary narrator describing the reaction of the assembled beings (devas/gaṇas) toward Śiva after perceiving the dānava-lord.

Primary Deities

• Shiva
• Gaṇas
• Dānava-lord (Andhaka context)

Key Themes

• Andhaka episode (asura threat)
• Śiva’s martial sovereignty (Vṛṣadhvaja)
• Gaṇa hierarchy and subjugation of hostile forces
• Stuti arising from divine protection/victory-signs

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is implied by describing the enemy as ‘saṃśuṣka-piśita’ (withered-fleshed)?

It signals a state of depletion or affliction—often a Purāṇic marker that the asura’s power has been checked by tapas, curse, fear, or prior divine force. It also heightens the contrast between demonic arrogance and the inevitable weakening before Śiva’s power.

How should ‘gaṇādhipatyam āpannaṃ’ be understood?

It indicates that the foe has come within the control or jurisdiction of Śiva’s gaṇa-leadership—either being surrounded, subdued, or forced into a situation governed by Śiva’s attendants. The phrase underscores the organized, hierarchical might of Śiva’s retinue.

Why is Śiva praised specifically as ‘Vṛṣadhvaja’ here?

Vṛṣadhvaja (‘bull-bannered’) is a martial epithet linking Śiva to Nandī and to dharma-symbolism (the bull). In battle narratives, it functions as a victory-sign: the hosts praise the commander whose emblem guarantees protection and righteous triumph.