Shloka 14
Kurukṣetra-sainyadarśana and Arjuna-viṣāda (धर्मक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः — अर्जुनविषाद)
कान्तारभयदुर्गेषु भक्तानां चालयेषु च | नित्यं वससि पाताले युद्धे जयसि दानवान्
Arjuna uvāca | kāntārabhayadurgeṣu bhaktānāṁ cālayeṣu ca | nityaṁ vasasi pātāle yuddhe jayasi dānavān ||
Arjuna said: “O Mother, you dwell ever in fearful wildernesses and in perilous, hard-to-reach strongholds; you also abide in the homes and sanctuaries of your devotees, and even in the netherworld. In battle you overcome the Dānavas.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes the Goddess’s omnipresence and protective power: she is present in terrifying and liminal spaces (forests, fortresses, the netherworld) as well as in the intimate sphere of devotees’ homes, and she defeats forces opposed to dharma in battle.
Arjuna addresses the Mother Goddess in praise, describing her constant dwelling across all realms and her martial potency, framing her as both a refuge for devotees and a conqueror of demonic powers.