Shloka 13
Adhyaya 84 — The Gods’ Hymn after the Slaying of Mahishasura and the Goddess’ Boon
दृष्ट्वा तु देवि कुपितं भ्रुकुटीकरालमुद्यच्छशाङ्कसदृशच्छवि यन्न सद्यः । प्राणान्मुमोच महिषस्तदतीव चित्रं कैर्जीव्यते हि कुपितान्तकदर्शनेन ॥
dṛṣṭvā tu devi kupitaṃ bhrukuṭīkarālam udyacchaśāṅkasadṛśacchavi yanna sadyaḥ / prāṇānmumoca mahīṣastadatīva citraṃ kairjīvyate hi kupitāntakadarśanena
O Devi, having seen your wrathful face—terrible with frowns, yet bearing the hue of the rising moon—it is exceedingly strange that Mahishāsura did not at once give up his life. For who can remain alive after beholding the enraged Destroyer (Death)?
FAQs
The verse presents a mystical paradox: Her face is 'kupitam' (angry) and 'bhrukutikaralam' (terrible with frowns), yet simultaneously 'udyacchashankasadrishacchavi' (glowing like the rising moon). This signifies that the Devi transcends dualities; even in her destructive mode (Tamasi), she retains the cooling, enlightening nature of the moon (Sattva/Soma), representing liberation even for the demons she slays.
This verse belongs to the Manvantara characteristic of the Purana. The Devi Mahatmyam is inserted within the Markandeya Purana to explain the origin and authority of the Savarni Manu (the 8th Manu).
The rhetorical question 'Who can live after seeing the enraged Death?' underscores Mahishasura's immense power and vitality. It implies that ordinary beings would die from sheer terror merely by looking at her, but the Demon King's survival (albeit temporary) highlights the magnitude of the conflict.