Andhakāsura Vadha (Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa)

The Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, in Chapter 226 of the Poorvārdha, tells how Bhagavān Śiva fought Andhaka, the asura (a demon) who desired Pārvatī. Every drop of Andhaka’s blood that fell on the earth made a new Andhaka. To stop this, the Mātṛkā-śaktis, fierce divine mothers who drink blood, were brought forth. Among them was Śushkarēvatī, born from the tongue of Narasiṃha. In the end Śiva pierced Andhaka with his triśūla (trident). Andhaka repented and became a chief of Śiva’s gaṇas.

Andhaka’s blood makes new Andhakas

Śiva fought Andhaka to protect Pārvatī. In the battle a great trouble appeared. Every drop of Andhaka’s blood that fell to the earth at once became a new Andhaka, as strong as the first. Each wound that Śiva gave made more enemies. Soon thousands of Andhakas filled the battlefield, and all of them fought with the same fierce power as the original.

Killing Andhaka by wounds alone would only make more asuras. What was needed was a power that could take up the blood before it touched the earth.

The Mātṛkā-śaktis

The Mātṛkā-śaktis were called forth for this work. They are fierce divine mothers who can drink blood. The Purāṇa describes how they came.

From Śiva’s anger. As Śiva raged in battle, his great anger and his tejas (radiance) took the forms of the Mātṛkās. They are fierce female powers who consume, absorb and protect through their fierceness. They came down onto the battlefield with a clear task: to take every drop of Andhaka’s blood before it could reach the ground.

Śushkarēvatī, from Narasiṃha’s tongue. The most special part of this account is the śakti Śushkarēvatī. She was born from the tongue of Narasiṃha, the man-lion avatāra of Bhagavān Vishṇu. This was the tongue that had taken in the great daitya Hiraṇyakaśipu, and it held the fire of divine destruction. From it came Śushkarēvatī. Her special power was to dry up and consume Andhaka’s blood. The name Śushkarēvatī is explained as Śushka (dried) and Revatī (one of the divine mothers).

Thirty-two Mātṛ-śaktis from Narasiṃha’s body. The Purāṇa counts thirty-two Mātṛ-śaktis that came from different parts of Narasiṃha’s body. His roar, his claws, his mane, his eyes and his limbs each gave rise to a śakti with its own power to consume. Together the thirty-two made a full circle of protection around the battlefield.

Narasiṃha Varṇana

The chapter has a long, poetic description (varṇana) of Narasiṃha. It tells of his form, and of his roar that shakes the great mountains of the cosmos. His eyes blaze like suns. His mane spreads like a monsoon cloud. His claws can tear through māyā itself.

The Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa counts Andhaka as Hiraṇyakaśipu born again. The same form of Bhagavān Vishṇu that destroyed Hiraṇyakaśipu now sends out its śaktis to help defeat Andhaka.

Andhaka is defeated

The Mātṛkās took every drop of blood, and Śushkarēvatī stopped Andhaka’s power to multiply through his blood. So Śiva could now fight Andhaka face to face. The battle was fierce. Andhaka fought with all his strength and with the varas (boons) that Brahmā had given him. But with no new Andhakas rising from his blood, his power had an end.

Śiva raised his triśūla and pierced Andhaka with it. Held on the trident, Andhaka could neither die nor get free, and he hung in the sky. There the fire of Śiva’s nearness burned away the tamas (darkness of mind) that had kept him blind to the truth. The name Andhaka means “blind one”. His strong desire for Pārvatī and his stand against the divine order began to change on the triśūla.

Gaṇādhipatyam: Andhaka’s liberation

Andhaka repented fully and gave himself up. His blindness was burned away, and he knew Śiva as the highest reality. Then Śiva gave him the great anugraha (grace) of gaṇādhipatyam: he became the chief of one of Śiva’s groups of gaṇas.

Andhaka had tried to take Pārvatī. Now he was raised to the rank of a servant of Śiva, a member of Śiva’s own company, honoured and strong, and turned to service.

Sources

• Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Poorvārdha, Chapter 226