Andha is a kind of blind animal mentioned in Mahābhārata (Mahabharata). It had no eyes but its olfactory organ was powerful enough to function as its eyes. Once, having no other game at hand, a hunter called Valāka (Valaka), killed this peculiar-looking animal while it was drinking water. Getting a boon from Brahmā (Brahma) this animal became so ferocious that Brahma made sightless, to reduce its ferocity —tapastatvā baraṁ prāptaṁ kṛtam andhaṁ svayambhuvā.