Shloka 25
अध्याय ३८ — काली-शंखचूड-युद्धे अस्त्रप्रयोगः
Kālī and Śaṅkhacūḍa: Mantra-Weapons and Surrender in Battle
वेगेन मुष्टिना काली तमदृष्ट्वा च दानवम् । बभंज च रथं तस्य जघान किल सारथिम्
vegena muṣṭinā kālī tamadṛṣṭvā ca dānavam | babhaṃja ca rathaṃ tasya jaghāna kila sārathim
Then Kālī, not even looking upon that demon, struck with a swift fist; she shattered his chariot and indeed struck down his charioteer.
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pati
Type: stotra
Shakti Form: Kālī
Role: destructive
FAQs
The verse depicts Kālī’s effortless dominance over demonic force, symbolizing how divine Śakti—operating under Śiva’s sovereignty—removes arrogance and destructive tendencies swiftly, even without “striving,” when dharma must be protected.
Though the scene is martial, it supports Saguna devotion: Kālī is revered as Śiva’s Śakti, and her decisive action reflects the protective grace that devotees associate with worship of Śiva (often through the Liṅga) and His manifested powers in the world.
A practical takeaway is steadfast japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with a protective-bhāva, coupled with simple Shaiva observances like applying tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and cultivating inner vigilance against ego and anger—“the demon within.”