Vamana Purana — Battle at Mandara, Shloka 40

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

Devanagari script

गणाधिपांस्तान् विमुखान् स कृत्वा बलन्वितो वीरतरो ऽसुरेन्द्रः समभ्यधावत् त्वरितो निहन्तुं गणेश्वरान् स्कन्दविशाखमुख्यान्

Transliteration

gaṇādhipāṃstān vimukhān sa kṛtvā balanvito vīrataro 'surendraḥ samabhyadhāvat tvarito nihantuṃ gaṇeśvarān skandaviśākhamukhyān

Translation

اُن گنوں کے سرداروں کو پسپا کر کے، قوت سے بھرپور اور نہایت دلیر اسوروں کا فرمانروا تیزی سے لپکا تاکہ اسکَند، وِشاکھ وغیرہ گنیشوروں کو قتل کرے۔

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic voice) describing the battle; no direct speech in this verse.

Primary Deities

• Śiva (implicit)
• Skanda (Kārttikeya)
• Viśākha

Key Themes

• Gaṇa–Daitya conflict
• Martial valor (vīrya)
• Protection of Śiva’s hosts
• Command structure of divine armies

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who are the “gaṇādhipas” and “gaṇeśvaras” in this context?

They are chiefs within Śiva’s gaṇas—his attendant hosts who function as a divine militia. The verse distinguishes between general gaṇa-leaders (gaṇādhipa) and prominent commanders (gaṇeśvara), emphasizing an organized hierarchy.

Why are Skanda and Viśākha singled out?

Skanda (Kārttikeya) is the paradigmatic commander of divine forces. “Viśākha” here functions as a leading martial figure associated with Skanda’s command—either as an epithet or as a named chief—marking the foremost targets of the asura’s charge.

Does this verse contain any tīrtha or geographic data typical of the Vāmana Purāṇa?

No. This is a narrative-battle segment within the Andhaka-vadha cycle; it contains no explicit sacred-geography markers (rivers, forests, tīrthas) in the śloka itself.