Ashtami

The eighth day of the lunar fortnight (asthami) is associated with the destruction of the demon Andhaka.

Andhaka was the son of Kashyapa and Diti. He had a thousand hands, a thousand feet and a thousand eyes. The word andha means blind, but Andhaka was not blind at all. He was so proud that he walked about with the gait of a blind man. That is, his bearing was unsteady and he thus came to acquire the name of Andhaka. By praying to Brahma, Andhaka had obtained the boon that no ordinary god would be able to kill him and that his head would never fall down on the ground.

Andhaka immediately began to oppress the gods. Plagued by the demon’s oppressions, the gods went to Brahma for deliverance.

“I am sorry,” said Brahma. “But I cannot help. It is I who have granted him the boon. I cannot kill him. Let us go to Shiva.”

Brahma and the other gods went to visit Shiva. While they were there, Andhaka came and surrounded Shiva’s abode with a huge army. His intention was to kill Shiva and marry Parvati.