Andhaka

In Hindu mythology, Andhaka (अंधक) often refers to a malevolent asura, demon. Shiva assumed the Veerabhadra form to kill him.^[1][2][3] His story finds mention in various Hindu texts, including Matsya Purana and Shiva Purana. ^[4]

Story[edit]

The story goes like this. While in the mount Mandhar, a baby was born to Parvati and Shiva. Shiva was in a meditating posture and Parvati closed his eyes mischievously from behind. The boy appeared out of Parvati and Shiva’s sweat. Shiva explains to Parvati that since his eyes were closed, the baby was born blind and was called Andhaka (the dark/blind). Since he posed devilish qualities he was called Andhakasur (the blind demon). Hiranyaksh, a troublesome demon did intense penance to please Lord Shiva. Hiranyaksh wanted a son who possesses immense powers to rule the world. Shiva refused to grant such a boon. Instead he offered Andhaka to Hiranyaksh saying that Andhaka possesses all the qualities he was looking for, and to treat him as his son. Andhaka wanted more power and did intense penance to please Lord Brahma. Among many things, the boons he asked for included extraordinary vision and immortality. Everything was granted except the immortality. Instead, Lord Brahma asked him to choose when he could die. Andhakasur asked for a boon that he would die only when he aspires for a woman who he should never aspire for. With time Andhakasur turned more materialistic and less interested in austerities. By this time he has already conquered the world and the heaven. On a pleasure trip he along with his companions lands up in Mount Mandhar where Lord Shiva and Parvati lives. His companions tells of a sage and his beautiful wife. Andhaka sends his companions to bring her along. Shiva explains to them that they are Andhaka’s parents. The companions mistook it for a ploy and compels Andhaka for a fight. Shiva and Parvati will soon play a horrible role in the battlefield in many different forms. The next morning, Shiva and Parvati's army reached the battlefield with Andhaka's army also vice-versa. Andhaka wants Parvati to be his. Shiva assigns his demon-warrior form Veerbhadra to kill half of Andhaka's army. Veerbhadra managed to kill half of Andhaka's army, but did not manage to kill Andhaka. When Andhaka was bleeding from his hands, arms, legs feet or hands, a new clone of Andhaka appears, Veerbhadra tries again, but failed, Parvati gets outraged to see Andhaka and his clones, so does Lord Shiva, Parvati calls upon the eight Mother Goddesses from her, namely as Brahmani, Vaishnavi, Maheshwari, Kaumari, Indrani, Varahi, Narasinghi and Chamundai to help Veerbhadra in the battlefield. The eight Mother Goddessses killed the rest Andhaka's army, then they came together, all lined up in the skies watched the battle. Parvati took the form of Goddess Bhadrakali to help Veerbhadra. He slashed Andhaka's clones while Bhadrakali collected their blood and drank it, she also slashed Andhaka's clones too. After Andhaka was defeated, he pleads forgiveness from Lord Shiva and Parvati. After Veerbhadra went back into Lord Shiva's body, so did the eight Mother Goddesses after Bhadrakali returned as Parvati, they went back into her body as well. Andhaka was defeated, he pleads forgiveness from Lord Shiva and Parvati. He was forgiven and became one of the men of Shiva.

In Mahabharata[edit]

Some millions of years later, three of Andhaka's generals (Duryodhana [This is not the Duryodhana from the Mahabharata], Vighasa and Hasti) happened upon Shiva and Parvati in a cave, but did not recognise them. They thought that the woman was beautiful enough for their king, and so hurried back to tell him the good news.

Andhaka asked them to return and ask for the woman in marriage. Shiva refused and Andhaka rushed to the cave to do battle.

There then followed a battle that lasted for hundreds of years and involved many other gods and demons, but finally Shiva killed Andhaka by thrusting his trident through his son's chest. In some accounts, Lord Shiva held Andhaka on His (Lord Shiva's) trident until the Sun withered away Andhaka's sins. After that time, Andhaka was purified by the Lord's touch and became a Gana (attendant) to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

The myth stresses Andhaka's unnatural lust for his mother, a product of his blindness and inability to recognize moral wrongs