Vamana Purana — Andhaka's Defeat & Redemption, Shloka 52

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

Devanagari script

अन्धक उवाच नमो ऽस्तु ते भैरव भीममूर्ते त्रिलोकगोप्त्रे शितशूलधारिणे विंशार्द्धबाहो भुजगेशहार त्रिनेत्र मां पाहि विपन्नबुद्धिम्

Transliteration

andhaka uvāca namo 'stu te bhairava bhīmamūrte trilokagoptre śitaśūladhāriṇe viṃśārddhabāho bhujageśahāra trinetra māṃ pāhi vipannabuddhim

Translation

Andhaka said: Salutation to you, O Bhairava of terrifying form—protector of the three worlds, bearer of the sharp spear/trident; O one with (mighty) arms, wearing the lord of serpents as an ornament; O three-eyed one—protect me, whose understanding has fallen into ruin.

Speakers

• Andhaka addressing Śiva in his Bhairava aspect.

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Bhairava)

Key Themes

• Stuti as repentance and refuge (śaraṇāgati)
• Śiva as cosmic protector (triloka-goptṛ)
• Iconography of Bhairava (weapons, serpents, three eyes)
• Transformation of the asura through devotion

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "secondaryRasa": "karuna", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What does Andhaka mean by ‘vipanna-buddhi’ (ruined intellect)?

It is a confession of delusion and moral error—his prior arrogance and hostility are framed as a collapse of discernment (viveka). The stuti begins with repentance, making protection (pāhi) a request for both safety and inner restoration.

How do the epithets build Bhairava’s identity in this single verse?

They combine cosmic function (triloka-goptṛ), weaponized sovereignty (śita-śūla-dhārin), ascetic-fierce ornamentation (serpent-king as hāra), and metaphysical power (tri-netra). Together they present Bhairava as both terrifying and salvific.

Is ‘viṃśārdha-bāhu’ to be taken literally?

In Purāṇic stuti, multi-armed counts often function as poetic hyperbole for immeasurable power. Some manuscript traditions show variation in such numerals; the safest scholarly reading is that it signals extraordinary, superhuman might rather than a fixed iconographic count.