Shloka 15

Adhyaya 83 — The Slaying of Mahishasura’s Armies and the Final Death of Mahishasura

Sanskrit

ततो वेगात्खमुत्पत्य निपत्य च मृगारिणा ।

करप्रहारेण शिरश्चामरस्य पृथक्कृतम् ॥

Transliteration

tato vegāt kham utpatya nipatya ca mṛgāriṇā | karaprahāreṇa śiraś cāmarasya pṛthakkṛtam ||

Translation

Darauf sprang der Feind der Hirsche (der Löwe) mit Schnelligkeit in den Himmel und stieß herab; mit seiner Pranke schlug er zu und trennte Cāmara den Kopf ab.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• vegāt: from/through speed, due to force
• vegāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vega (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• kham: the sky
• kham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• utpatya: having flown up
• utpatya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ut-√pat (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त), from ut-√pat ‘to fly up, leap’

• nipatya: having fallen down
• nipatya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√pat (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त), from ni-√pat ‘to fall down’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• mṛga-ariṇā: by the lion (beast-enemy)
• mṛga-ariṇā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛga (प्रातिपदिक) + ari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘mṛgāri’ = ‘enemy of beasts’; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• kara-prahāreṇa: by a blow of the hand
• kara-prahāreṇa: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kara (प्रातिपदिक) + prahāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘blow/strike of the hand’; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• śiraḥ: head
• śiraḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• cāmarasya: of Cāmara
• cāmarasya: Sambandha/Ṣaṣṭhī (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāmara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• pṛthak-kṛtam: was severed/made separate
• pṛthak-kṛtam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pṛthak (अव्यय) + √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Avyayībhāva-like formation with pṛthak; Past passive participle (कर्मणि क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन) agreeing with śiraḥ

Speakers

• Narrative voice within the Devi Mahatmyam frame (traditionally: Medhas Ṛṣi narrating to Suratha and Samādhi)

Primary Deities

• Mahādevī (Ambikā/Durgā)
• Siṃha (the Goddess’s lion mount)

Shakti Aspects

• Ambikā / Mahādevī (battle context; her lion acts as her vāhana and ally)

Key Themes

• Shaktism
• Divine battle
• Protection of cosmic order
• Destruction of adharma

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Adharma, even when backed by force and numbers, is cut down decisively when it confronts the divine order (ṛta/dharma). The lion, as the Goddess’s power in action, symbolizes fearless discernment that severs arrogance (demonic pride) at its root.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This passage belongs to the puranic upākhyāna/narrative portion rather than to sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita as a data-list. If mapped, it most closely supports dharma-protection themes commonly embedded within vaṃśānucarita-era narratives, but it is not itself a genealogical or manvantara account.

What is the esoteric significance?

The lion’s upward leap (ascent) and downward strike (descent) can be read as śakti moving from subtle to manifest: the awakened inner power rises beyond fear and then ‘cuts’ the egoic head (ahaṅkāra) that leads the demonic host.