Shloka 12

Adhyaya 82 — The Rise of Mahishasura and the Manifestation of the Goddess from the Gods’ Tejas

Sanskrit

अतुलं तत्र तत्तेजः सर्वदेवशरीरजम् । एकस्थं तदभून्नारी व्याप्तलोकत्रयं त्विषा ॥

Transliteration

atulaṃ tatra tat tejaḥ sarvadevaśarīrajam / ekasthaṃ tad abhūn nārī vyāptalokatrayaṃ tviṣā

Translation

Dort sammelte sich jenes unvergleichliche Strahlen, das aus den Leibern aller Götter geboren war, an einem Ort und wurde zu einer Frau, die mit ihrem Glanz die drei Welten erfüllte.

Word by Word

• अतुलम्: incomparable
• अतुलम्: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तेजः-विशेषण

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• तत्: that
• तत्: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (demonstrative)

• तेजः: radiance
• तेजः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सर्व-देव-शरीर-जम्: born from the bodies of all the gods
• सर्व-देव-शरीर-जम्: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + शरीर (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (√जन्-सम्भव, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: 'सर्वेषां देवानां शरीरात् जातम्' (born from the bodies of all gods)

• एकस्थम्: concentrated in one place
• एकस्थम्: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (√स्था, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: 'एकस्मिन् स्थाने स्थितम्' (situated in one place)

• तत्: that (radiance)
• तत्: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पूर्वोक्त-तेजः (that radiance)

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: क्रिया (Verb/आख्यात)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नारी: a woman
• नारी: प्रथमा-विधेय (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• व्याप्त-लोक-त्रयम्: pervading the three worlds
• व्याप्त-लोक-त्रयम्: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याप्त (√व्याप् + क्त, कृदन्त) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: 'लोकत्रयं व्याप्तम्' (pervading the three worlds) — नारी/तेजः-विशेषण

• त्विषा: with splendour
• त्विषा: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्विष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrumental: 'by/with splendour')

Speakers

• Rishi narrator

Primary Deities

• Devi (unified Shakti)
• Devas (collectively)

Shakti Aspects

• Devī as sarvadevamayī; imminent identification with Durgā/Chandikā for Mahishāsura-vadha

Key Themes

• Embodiment of Shakti
• Sarvadevamayi Devi
• Theophany
• Cosmic pervasion

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse asserts a central Shakta doctrine: the supreme protective power can manifest in a concrete, approachable form—Devī—without losing her cosmic pervasiveness.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Carita (divine manifestation narrative). It is not sarga (creation of the cosmos) but a ‘special manifestation’ for restoring dharma.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Woman’ here signifies Śakti as the dynamic, form-giving principle—energy becoming intelligible and efficacious. The three-world pervasion indicates that this power operates across gross, subtle, and causal levels.