Shloka 49
The Tale of Kāmodā and Vihuṇḍa: Tear-Born Lotuses on the Gaṅgā and the Ethics of Worship
निश्चेष्टः कामरूपेण वज्राहत इवाचलः । पतिते दानवे तस्मिन्सर्वलोकविनाशके
niśceṣṭaḥ kāmarūpeṇa vajrāhata ivācalaḥ | patite dānave tasminsarvalokavināśake
Frappé par Kāmarūpa, il demeura sans mouvement, tel une montagne brisée par la foudre, lorsque tomba ce démon, fléau des mondes.
Narrator (contextual; speaker not explicit in the single verse)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: region
Sandhi Resolution Notes: इवाचलः = इव + अचलः; तस्मिन्सर्वलोकविनाशके = तस्मिन् + सर्वलोकविनाशके।
FAQs
In this verse, “Kāmarūpa” denotes a being or power capable of assuming forms at will (kāma-rūpa, “desired form”), functioning here as the agent that strikes down the opponent.
It is a simile comparing the fallen figure to a mountain hit by Indra’s thunderbolt, emphasizing suddenness, overwhelming force, and complete immobilization.
Labeling the demon a “destroyer of all worlds” frames the conflict as protection of cosmic order (dharma) against forces of total disruption, justifying the demon’s defeat as restoration of balance.