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Shloka 19

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

बिडालस्यासिना कायात् पातयामास वै शिरः ।

दुर्धरं दुर्मुखं चोभौ शरैर्निन्ये यमक्षयम् ।

कालं च कालदण्डेन कालरात्रिरपातयत् ॥

biḍālasyāsinā kāyāt pātayāmāsa vai śiraḥ | durdharaṃ durmukhaṃ cobhau śarair ninye yamakṣayam | kālaṃ ca kāladaṇḍena kālarātrir apātayat ||

Mit dem Schwert trennte sie Biḍāla den Kopf vom Leib. Durdhara und Durmukha sandte sie beide mit Pfeilen in Yamas Wohnstatt. Und Kāla selbst streckte Kālarātri mit dem Stab der Zeit nieder.

biḍālasyaof Biḍāla
biḍālasya:
Sambandha/Ṣaṣṭhī (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootbiḍāla (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)
asināwith a sword
asinā:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootasi (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)
kāyātfrom the body
kāyāt:
Apādāna (अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootkāya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)
pātayāmāsacaused to fall, cut off
pātayāmāsa:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√pat (धातु)
FormCausative (णिच्) + Periphrastic perfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
vaiindeed
vai:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvai (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya (अव्यय), particle (निपात), emphasis
śiraḥthe head
śiraḥ:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootśiras (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
durdharamDurdhara (a demon)
durdharam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootdurdhara (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
durmukhamDurmukha (a demon)
durmukham:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootdurmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya (अव्यय), conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)
ubhauboth (of them)
ubhau:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootubha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Dual (द्विवचन)
śaraiḥwith arrows
śaraiḥ:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootśara (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)
ninyesent/led (to)
ninye:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootni-√nī (धातु)
FormPerfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
yama-kṣayamto Yama’s abode (death)
yama-kṣayam:
Gati/Karma (गति/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootyama (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormTatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘abode/realm of Yama’; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
kālamKāla (a demon/personified Time)
kālam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootkāla (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya (अव्यय), conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)
kāla-daṇḍenawith Kāla’s staff
kāla-daṇḍena:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootkāla (प्रातिपदिक) + daṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormTatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘staff of Kāla’; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)
kālarātriḥKālarātri (a goddess)
kālarātriḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkālarātri (प्रातिपदिक)
FormTatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘night of time/death’; Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
apātayatcaused to fall, felled
apātayat:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√pat (धातु)
FormImperfect (लङ्), Causative (णिच्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
Narrative voice within the Devi Mahatmyam frame
Mahādevī (Ambikā/Durgā)Kālarātri
Kālarātri (fierce night/time aspect); Mahādevī’s terrifying protective manifestation
ShaktismDeath/Time symbolismFierce compassion (ugra-śakti)

FAQs

Even ‘Time’ and ‘Death’ motifs are subordinated to the Supreme Goddess: dharma is not ultimately at the mercy of chaos. The verse reinforces the inevitability of consequences—those who embody destruction are themselves destroyed.

Not pancalakṣaṇa enumeration; it is a dharma-restoring battle narrative used pedagogically to convey the supremacy of śakti.

Kālarātri overcoming ‘Kāla’ suggests that the Absolute (as śakti) transcends temporality. In inner terms, the fear of time/death is conquered by realization of the timeless ground.