Vamana Purana — Battle at Mandara, Shloka 32

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

Devanagari script

स बद्धो बाहुपासेन बलादाकृष्य दानवम् समाजघान शिरशि कुठारेण महोदरः

Transliteration

sa baddho bāhupāsena balādākṛṣya dānavam samājaghāna śiraśi kuṭhāreṇa mahodaraḥ

Translation

بازوؤں کے پاش سے بندھا ہونے کے باوجود مہودر نے زور سے اس دانَو کو اپنی طرف کھینچ کر کلہاڑی سے اس کے سر پر ضرب لگائی۔

Speakers

• Narrator (paurāṇika voice) continuing the combat description.

Key Themes

• Reversal in combat
• Strength despite restraint
• Weapon escalation (axe blow)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

How can Mahodara strike if he is ‘baddha’ (bound)?

The verse highlights heroic resilience: even while restrained, Mahodara uses sheer force (balāt) to pull the opponent into range, converting a disadvantage into a decisive counterattack.

Is ‘kuṭhāra’ merely a weapon detail or a symbolic marker?

Primarily it is a concrete battlefield detail, but axes in Purāṇic diction often signal a ‘cleaving’ or decisive blow—contrasted with blunter weapons like the parigha mentioned earlier.

Does ‘samājaghāna’ imply multiple blows?

The verb can convey a strong, emphatic strike and may also suggest repeated striking; contextually it underscores the severity of the head-blow.