Shloka 36

Account of Kāmākṣā (Bhavānī) at Āhicchatrā

Devanagari script

देशाधिपाये बहवो महाबलपराक्रमाः । हस्त्यश्वरथपादात चतुरंगसमन्विताः

Transliteration

deśādhipāye bahavo mahābalaparākramāḥ | hastyaśvarathapādāta caturaṃgasamanvitāḥ

Translation

Dort waren viele Landesfürsten zugegen, von großer Kraft und Tapferkeit, ausgestattet mit dem viergliedrigen Heer: Elefanten, Pferde, Wagen und Fußvolk.

Word by Word

• deśa-adhipāye: in/at the ruler of the country (i.e., at the king)
• deśa-adhipāye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; देशस्य अधिपायः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; Locative singular

• bahavaḥ: many (persons)
• bahavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; nominative plural

• mahā-bala-parākramāḥ: of great strength and valor
• mahā-bala-parākramāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + bala (प्रातिपदिक) + parākrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महान् बलः च पराक्रमः च यस्य); nominative plural adjective

• hasti-aśva-ratha-pādātāḥ: elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry
• hasti-aśva-ratha-pādātāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hasti (प्रातिपदिक) + aśva (प्रातिपदिक) + ratha (प्रातिपदिक) + pādāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (हस्तिनः, अश्वाः, रथाः, पादाताः); nominative plural

• catur-aṅga-samanvitāḥ: equipped with the four divisions (of an army)
• catur-aṅga-samanvitāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + samanvita (समन्वित, कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; चतुरङ्गेण समन्विताः इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुष; nominative plural adjective

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (context not provided in the input excerpt)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Collective order and disciplined strength (caturaṅga-bala) are instruments for protecting dharma when aligned with righteous authority.

Application: Strength without discipline becomes harm; cultivate ‘fourfold readiness’ in life—planning, resources, teamwork, and ethical restraint.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: city

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vast plain outside a fortified city fills with banners as many land-rulers arrive, their fourfold armies arrayed in disciplined lines—elephants with gilded caparisons, chariots gleaming, cavalry in formation, infantry with spears and shields. The scene conveys controlled power, not chaos: a dharmic muster under higher authority.","primary_figures":["regional kings (deśādhipas)","elephant corps","charioteers","cavalry commanders","infantry captains"],"setting":"Open parade ground near city ramparts; dust rising softly; standards and drums; distant palace silhouette.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["steel gray","banner crimson","antique gold","indigo","dust ochre"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: grand military assembly with elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry in symmetrical tiers; gold leaf on armor, elephant ornaments, and banners; rich reds/greens with jewel-toned accents; ornate border framing like a temple festival panel.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: panoramic muster scene with delicate detailing of elephants and chariots, layered ranks, fluttering pennants; cool mountain-like atmospheric blues with warm ochres; refined faces of kings in the foreground, lyrical but martial.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined elephants and chariots, rhythmic repetition of soldiers, stylized banners; strong red-yellow-green palette with black contours; narrative clarity like a temple wall depiction of royal dharma.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ceremonial army array framed by floral borders; peacocks perched on standards, lotus motifs woven into banner designs; deep blue background with gold highlights, turning martial pageantry into auspicious spectacle."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["war drums","conch shell","elephant bells","banner flapping","crowd murmur"]}

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: deśādhipāye = deśa-adhipāye; mahābalaparākramāḥ = mahā-bala-parākramāḥ; hastyaśvarathapādāta = hasti-aśva-ratha-pādātāḥ (plural understood); caturaṃgasamanvitāḥ = catur-aṅga-samanvitāḥ.

FAQs

What is meant by “caturaṅga” in this verse?

“Caturaṅga” refers to the classical fourfold army: elephants (hasti), cavalry (aśva), chariots (ratha), and infantry (pādātā).

Does the verse teach a specific spiritual doctrine here?

In isolation, the verse is primarily descriptive—depicting royal power and military organization—rather than directly teaching bhakti or metaphysics.

Why do Puranas mention elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry together?

This is a conventional ancient Indian military classification used in epics and Puranas to convey the completeness and prestige of a ruler’s forces.