Shloka 77

Adhyaya 81 — Suratha and Samadhi Seek Sage Medhas; Introduction to Mahamaya and the Madhukaitabha Origin Account

Sanskrit

ऋषिरुवाच तथेत्युक्त्वा भगवता शङ्ख-चक्र-गदाभृता ।

कृत्वा चक्रेण वै छिन्नॆ जघने शिरसी तयोः ॥

Transliteration

ṛṣir uvāca tathety uktvā bhagavatā śaṅkha-cakra-gadābhṛtā | kṛtvā cakreṇa vai chinne jaghane śirasī tayoḥ ||

Translation

The Ṛṣi said: Saying “So be it,” the Lord—bearer of conch, discus, and mace—cut off their two heads with the discus, placing them upon his thighs (thus not on the earth).

Word by Word

• ṛṣiḥ: the sage
• ṛṣiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वचने)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्/perfect), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada

• tathā: so/thus
• tathā: Vakyopasamhara (वाक्योपसंहार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (रीतिवाचक-अव्यय)

• iti: thus
• iti: Vakyopasamhara (वाक्योपसंहार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (इति-निपात)

• uktvā: having said
• uktvā: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वचने)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा): 'having said'

• bhagavatā: by the Lord
• bhagavatā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन)

• śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-bhṛtā: by the bearer of conch, discus, and mace
• śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-bhṛtā: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaṅkha (प्रातिपदिक) + cakra (प्रातिपदिक) + gadā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhṛt (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √bhṛ धारणे, क्त/तृच्-आधारित)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन); bahuvrīhi: 'by him who bears conch, discus, and mace' (qualifies bhagavatā)

• kṛtvā: having made/done
• kṛtvā: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (करणे)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा): 'having done/made'

• cakreṇa: with the discus
• cakreṇa: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (निपात)

• chinne: when (they were) cut off
• chinne: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: chinna (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √chid छेदने, क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (सप्तमी/7), Dual (द्विवचन); PPP used in locative absolute-like construction with 'jaghane śirasī'

• jaghane: at the two hips/buttocks
• jaghane: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaghana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (सप्तमी/7), Dual (द्विवचन)

• śirasī: at the two heads
• śirasī: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (सप्तमी/7), Dual (द्विवचन)

• tayoḥ: of those two
• tayoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Dual (द्विवचन)

Speakers

• Ṛṣi (narrator) describing Viṣṇu’s act

Primary Deities

• Viṣṇu

Shakti Aspects

• Mahāmāyā (indirectly: the divine power enabling the resolution)

Key Themes

• Fulfillment of boon-conditions
• Divine ingenuity
• Protection of cosmic order

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Dharma is upheld without violating truth: the Lord honors the exact condition while removing the threat—showing that righteousness includes precision and integrity.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Didactic myth embedded in Manvantara narration; functions as an illustrative ‘ākhyāna’ rather than direct sarga/pratisarga genealogy.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘thighs’ signify a liminal support between above and below—neither earth nor water—indicating a transcendental standpoint from which Māyā-bound constraints are resolved.