Shloka 13
Adhyaya 83 — The Slaying of Mahishasura’s Armies and the Final Death of Mahishasura
ततः सिंहः समुत्पत्य गजकुम्भान्तरे स्थितः ।
बाहुयुद्धेन युयुधे तेनोच्चैस्त्रिदशारिणा ॥
tataḥ siṃhaḥ samutpatya gajakumbhāntare sthitaḥ | bāhuyuddhena yuyudhe tenoccais tridaśāriṇā ||
Entonces el león saltó y se colocó entre las sienes del elefante, y luchó con él—Chamara, el altivo enemigo de los dioses—en combate cuerpo a cuerpo.
FAQs
Dharma is defended not only by the sovereign (Devi) but also by her aligned faculties (the lion). Courage, when yoked to righteous purpose, becomes an independent force that confronts oppression directly.
This is mythic-heroic narration serving devotional instruction; it is ancillary to pancalakṣaṇa categories and primarily supports dharma through exemplum.
The lion stationed at the elephant’s temples suggests prajñā (sharp courage) confronting the seat of pride and momentum. It is the ‘counter-instinct’ trained to restrain the heavy force of tamas/ahaṅkāra.