Vamana Purana — Manifestation of Katyayani, Shloka 10
The Manifestation of Katyayani (Durga) and the Humbling of the Vindhya by Agastya
सौम्येन युग्मं स्तनयोः सुसंहतं मध्यं तथैन्द्रेण च तेजसाभवत् ऊरब चजङ्घे च नितम्बसंयुते जाते जलेशस्य तु तेजसा हि
saumyena yugmaṃ stanayoḥ susaṃhataṃ madhyaṃ tathaindreṇa ca tejasābhavat ūraba cajaṅghe ca nitambasaṃyute jāte jaleśasya tu tejasā hi
By Saumya’s (Soma’s) power the well-formed, compact pair of breasts came into being; the waist, the middle, arose through Indra’s radiance. The thighs and shanks, together with the hips, were indeed produced by the energy of the Lord of Waters.
{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
The body is portrayed as a sacramental convergence of cosmic principles: lunar gentleness, Indra’s lordship/strength, and Varuṇa’s watery order. The teaching supports reverence for the many divine functions within a single reality.
This is theological-description material within a narrative (carita/anuśaṅga), not a primary cosmogonic sarga. It functions as a doctrinal interpolation explaining the nature of a manifested form.
Breasts from Soma suggest nourishment, coolness, and rasa (sap/essence); the waist from Indra signifies stability and heroic power; lower limbs from the water-lord evoke support, flow, and the sustaining ‘ground’ of existence—waters as the base of life and order (ṛta).