Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 21

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

Devanagari script

तद्वाक्यं शङ्करः श्रुत्वा सेन्द्रान्सुरगणांस्तदा ब्रह्मणा सहितान् सर्वान् स्वशरीरे न्यवेशयत्

Transliteration

tadvākyaṃ śaṅkaraḥ śrutvā sendrānsuragaṇāṃstadā brahmaṇā sahitān sarvān svaśarīre nyaveśayat

Translation

Hearing those words, Śaṅkara then caused all the hosts of gods—together with Indra and with Brahmā—to enter into his own body.

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic voice) describing Śiva’s action within the Andhaka episode

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Shankara)
• Indra
• Brahma

Key Themes

• Divine protection
• Śiva’s supremacy in crisis
• Deva-shelter within the deity (yogic power)
• Deva–Asura conflict

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why do the gods ‘enter Śiva’s body’ in this passage?

It signals Śiva’s yogic and sovereign capacity to protect the devas by withdrawing them from immediate danger and consolidating their power within himself, a motif of divine ‘containment’ (antar-laya/āveśa) used in Purāṇic battle narratives.

Does this imply the devas lose individuality or become one with Śiva?

In narrative terms it is protective lodging rather than final liberation; the devas are sheltered/contained so Śiva can confront the threat alone, after which they can re-emerge to resume their cosmic functions.

What theological emphasis does the verse convey?

It foregrounds Śiva as the decisive refuge even for Indra and Brahmā, underscoring a Śaiva-leaning hierarchy within the episode while still keeping the broader Purāṇic pantheon intact.