Editing Andhaka (section)

===Harivaṃśa Purana===

According to the [[Harivamsa|Harivaṃśa Purāṇa]], Andhaka was a [[Daitya]] and the son of [[Diti]] and the sage [[Kashyapa|Kaśyapa]]. After the defeat of Daityas by Vishnu, Diti pleaded with Kaśyapa to give her such a son who couldn't be defeated by the gods. Kaśyapa granted her boon and told her that only Shiva had the power to destroy her son, as no one could match his power. Kaśyapa then touched her belly and a child was born with a thousand eyes and limbs. Although he wasn't blind, Andhaka walked like a blind person, thus bearing the name. Over time, Andhaka became arrogant since he cannot be harmed by anyone.

At one time, Andhaka went to the court of Indra, abducted all the [[Apsaras]], and defeated all of the gods in battle. He also hindered the performance of [[yajnas|yajñas]] by the gods. Being so tormented, the gods approached [[Narada|Nārada]] for assistance. Nārada visited Andhaka to counsel with him. Andhaka was intrigued by the fragrant garland of Mandara flowers worn by Nārada and inquired as to the source of the flowers. Nārada tells him that the flowers come from the Mandara forest, protected by guards so that no one may enter without Shiva's permission.

Andhaka conversed with Mount Mandara, informing the mountain of his invulnerability, and asked about the whereabouts of the forest. The mountain refuses to answer and disappears. Andhaka erupts in anger and uproots the entire mountain and with the help of his Asura army. They manage to grind the mountain down, destroying all of its natural beauty. Once Shiva become informed of this, he blesses the mountain with a boon which restored it to its original splendor. The mountain summits began to kill the Asuras who had attempted to destroy them. Upon seeing this, Andhaka calls out the owner of the mountain, wishing to burn the entire Mandara mountain. In response, Shiva, with his mace, mounts his bull and charges Andhaka. When Shiva releases his spear, it strikes the demon in the chest and reduces him to ash.<ref name="Collins1988"/><ref name="Williams2008"/><ref name="Garg1992">{{cite book|author= Ganga Ram Garg|title= Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World Vol. 3|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=WjDcd0cTFxQC&pg=PA449|year=1992|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|isbn= 978-81-7022-376-4|page= 449}}</ref>