Shloka 3
Adhyaya 88 — The Manifestation of the Matrikas and the Slaying of Raktabija
अद्य सर्वबलैर्दैत्या षडशीतीरुदायुधाः । कम्बूनां चतुरशीतिर्निर्यान्तु स्वबलैर्वृताः ॥
adya sarvabalair daityāḥ ṣaḍaśītir udāyudhāḥ / kambūnāṃ caturaśītir niryāntu svabalair vṛtāḥ
Today, let the daityas—eighty-six divisions, fully armed—march out with all their strength; and let eighty-four divisions of the Kambūs go forth, surrounded by their own forces.
FAQs
Adharma seeks security in numbers and armaments; the narrative repeatedly shows that quantity cannot overrule righteous power aligned with cosmic order.
Anucarita: cataloging forces is a Purāṇic narrative technique to depict the scale of adharma before its defeat, heightening the didactic impact.
The numbered ‘divisions’ can be read as proliferating thought-patterns; when ego feels threatened, it multiplies strategies—yet all remain within the field that Devī (awareness) can subdue.