Vamana Purana — Slaying of Raktabija, Shloka 21

The Slaying of Raktabīja and Niśumbha–Śumbha; the Manifestation of the Mātṛkās and the Devas’ Hymn

Devanagari script

माहेश्वरी शूलविदारितोरसश् चकार दग्धानपरांश्च वैष्णवी शक्त्या कुमारी कुलिशेन चैन्द्री तुण्डेन चक्रेण वराहरूपिणी

Transliteration

māheśvarī śūlavidāritorasaś cakāra dagdhānaparāṃśca vaiṣṇavī śaktyā kumārī kuliśena caindrī tuṇḍena cakreṇa varāharūpiṇī

Translation

Māheśvarī tore open the chests of some with her trident; Vaiṣṇavī burned others. Kumārī struck with her spear, and Aindrī with Indra’s thunderbolt. Varāha-rūpiṇī, in the form of the Boar, dealt with foes by her snout and by the discus.

Speakers

• Narrator describing the Mothers’ (Mātṛkā) combat actions (interlocutors not specified in the excerpt).

Primary Deities

• Māheśvarī (Mātṛkā)
• Vaiṣṇavī (Mātṛkā)
• Kumārī (Mātṛkā)
• Aindrī/Indrī (Mātṛkā)
• Varāha-rūpiṇī (Devī-form)

Key Themes

• Sapta/Aṣṭa Mātṛkā theology
• Shared divine iconography across sectarian lines
• Weapons as signatures of deity-powers (śūla, cakra, vajra, śakti)
• Śaiva-Vaiṣṇava-Śākta integration in Purāṇic narrative

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "raudra", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why do the Mātṛkās use the signature weapons of male deities?

Mātṛkās are conceptualized as the śaktis (energies) of major gods; their weapons function as identifiers of the deity-power they embody. The verse uses weapon-iconography to map each Mother to her corresponding divine source.

Is ‘Varāha-rūpiṇī’ the same as Viṣṇu’s Varāha avatāra?

Here it is a Devī-form adopting Varāha’s boar-form symbolism and weaponry (snout and cakra). It signals theological overlap—Devī can manifest the functions and forms associated with Viṣṇu—without shifting the narrative into a full Varāha-avatāra episode.

What is the narrative function of listing multiple Mothers and weapons?

The catalogue style conveys overwhelming divine coordination: different cosmic powers converge to dismantle Asuric forces. It also serves as a compact iconographic ‘key’ for recognizing the Mātṛkās in later ritual and temple art.