Adhyaya 88 — The Manifestation of the Matrikas and the Slaying of Raktabija
अद्य सर्वबलैर्दैत्या षडशीतीरुदायुधाः । कम्बूनां चतुरशीतिर्निर्यान्तु स्वबलैर्वृताः ॥
adya sarvabalair daityāḥ ṣaḍaśītir udāyudhāḥ / kambūnāṃ caturaśītir niryāntu svabalair vṛtāḥ
Aujourd’hui, que les daityas—quatre-vingt-six divisions, entièrement armées—s’avancent de toute leur puissance ; et que quatre-vingt-quatre divisions des Kambūs sortent, entourées de leurs propres forces.
Adharma seeks security in numbers and armaments; the narrative repeatedly shows that quantity cannot overrule righteous power aligned with cosmic order.
Anucarita: cataloging forces is a Purāṇic narrative technique to depict the scale of adharma before its defeat, heightening the didactic impact.
The numbered ‘divisions’ can be read as proliferating thought-patterns; when ego feels threatened, it multiplies strategies—yet all remain within the field that Devī (awareness) can subdue.