Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.541

c4.541

1) Birth. This Asura was the foster son of Hiraṇyākṣa. Śiva was really his father. While once Śiva was immersed in yoga his daughter closed his eyes playfully with her hands, and lo! a darkness rose and enveloped the whole place. From that darkness, with a sound as that of thunderbolt, appeared a Rākṣasa. He got the name Andhaka as he was born from darkness. At that time Hiraṇyākṣa was doing tapas for a son. Śiva appeared before him and bestowing on him Andhaka as a foster son said as follows: "If he (Andhaka) earns the hatred of the world or desires even the mother of the three worlds or kills brahmins I will myself burn him to ashes". After saying this Śiva disappeared. (Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 63).