Adhyaya 83 — The Slaying of Mahishasura’s Armies and the Final Death of Mahishasura
तस्याः खड्गो भुजं प्राप्य पफाल नृपनन्दन ।
ततो जग्राह शूलं स कोपादरुणलोचनः ॥
tasyāḥ khaḍgo bhujaṃ prāpya paphāla nṛpanandana | tato jagrāha śūlaṃ sa kopād aruṇalocanaḥ ||
হে রাজানন্দিনী! দেবীর খড়্গ তার বাহুতে পৌঁছে তা বিদীর্ণ করল। তখন ক্রোধে রক্তচক্ষু হয়ে সে ত্রিশূল ধারণ করল।
Rage escalates when ego is wounded; yet the text shows that adharma’s escalation is reactive, while Devi’s action is precise and effective—skill rooted in dharma outmatches fury.
This is a didactic heroic narrative embedded in the Purana; it supports dharma by exemplifying the cosmic function of the Goddess rather than presenting chronological manvantara or genealogical lists.
The severed/cleft arm symbolizes loss of ‘agency’ of the asuric tendency; the grabbing of the śūla indicates the mind’s attempt to replace lost capacity with sharper, more piercing aggression.