Vamana Purana — Battle at Mandara, Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

ततः पश्यत्सु देवेषु महापाशुपतादयः गणास्तद्दानवं सैन्यं जिघांसन्ति स्म कोपिताः

Transliteration

tataḥ paśyatsu deveṣu mahāpāśupatādayaḥ gaṇāstaddānavaṃ sainyaṃ jighāṃsanti sma kopitāḥ

Translation

随后，在诸天注视之下，诸伽那众——以大帕修帕塔等为首——因忿怒而起，欲诛灭那支达那婆军队。

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic voice) describing the action as observed by the devas.

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Paśupati)

Key Themes

• Śaiva martial agency (gaṇas)
• Deva-asura warfare
• Wrath as a catalyst in righteous combat
• Spectatorship of devas vs. action of gaṇas

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who are the ‘mahāpāśupatādayaḥ gaṇāḥ’?

They are Śiva’s gaṇas (attendant hosts), led by ‘great Pāśupatas’—figures aligned with Paśupati (Śiva as Lord of beings). The term signals a specifically Śaiva cadre within the broader divine forces.

Why does the verse stress that the gods were ‘paśyatsu’ (watching) while the gaṇas attack?

It distinguishes roles: the devas are positioned as witnesses/overseers of the unfolding dharmic contest, while Śiva’s gaṇas execute the immediate martial response. This also heightens drama—action erupts under the gaze of the assembled pantheon.

Does ‘taddānavaṃ sainyam’ identify a specific place or tīrtha-linked group?

No. It identifies the enemy as a Dānava army without attaching it to a named geography. The verse is narrative-military rather than tīrtha-topographical.