Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Coronation, Shloka 39
Andhaka’s Coronation, Boons from Shiva, and the Daiva–Asura War (Vahana Catalogues)
पिशाचमुनिसंकीर्णा दुस्तरा प्राकृतैर्जनैः रथप्लवैः संतरन्तः शूरास्तां प्रजगाहिरे
piśācamunisaṃkīrṇā dustarā prākṛtairjanaiḥ rathaplavaiḥ saṃtarantaḥ śūrāstāṃ prajagāhire
Crowded with piśācas and ascetics, it was hard to cross for ordinary people; but the brave, crossing by means of raft-like chariots, entered it.
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FAQs
The contrast between ‘ordinary people’ and ‘the brave’ highlights adhikāra (fitness/qualification): certain undertakings—pilgrimage, austerity, or dharmic trials—demand courage, discipline, and preparedness, not mere curiosity.
This is ancillary narrative-description supporting kṣetra-māhātmya. It is not genealogical (vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita) nor cosmogonic (sarga/pratisarga), but a localized account enhancing the sanctity and awe of a place.
Piśācas and munis together signal a liminal zone where the frightening and the holy coexist—suggesting that sacred space is not merely ‘pleasant’ but transformative. The ‘raft-chariot’ image symbolizes ingenuity and resolve: dharma is crossed into by effort and skill, not passivity.