Vamana Purana — Ritadhvaja Aids Galava, Shloka 18
Ritadhvaja’s Aid to Galava and Andhaka’s Infatuation with Gauri
ततो विचरता तेन मन्दरे चारुकन्दरे दृष्टा गौरी च गिरिजा सखीमध्ये स्थिताशुभा
tato vicaratā tena mandare cārukandare dṛṣṭā gaurī ca girijā sakhīmadhye sthitāśubhā
Rồi khi hắn lang thang, trên núi Mandara, trong một hang động xinh đẹp, hắn thấy Gaurī, tức Girijā—nữ thần sinh từ núi—đứng giữa các bạn đồng hành, điềm chẳng lành đối với hắn.
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FAQs
Mandara is a mythically charged mountain in Purāṇic geography, often associated with divine events. Here it functions as a sacred, elevated space where the goddess is encountered—intensifying the gravity of Andhaka’s impending transgression.
It is relational: not that the goddess is intrinsically inauspicious, but that her being seen in this context becomes a bad omen for the wrongdoer. The term signals that the encounter will lead to Andhaka’s downfall and the unfolding of the Andhaka-vadha trajectory.
It situates the scene in a feminine, protected retinue typical of goddess narratives, and heightens the impropriety of the intruder’s gaze. It also prepares for subsequent reactions—flight, protection, or divine intervention—within the episode’s dramatic structure.