Vamana Purana — Slaying of Raktabija, Shloka 1

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

Devanagari script

इति श्रीवामनपुराणे एकोनत्रिंशोध्यायः पुलस्त्य उवाच चण्डमुण्डौ च निहतौ सैन्यं च विद्रुतम् समादिदेशातिबलं रक्तबीजं महासुरम् अक्षौहिणीनां त्रिंशद्भिः कोटिभिः परिवारितम्

Transliteration

iti śrīvāmanapurāṇe ekonatriṃśodhyāyaḥ pulastya uvāca caṇḍamuṇḍau ca nihatau sainyaṃ ca vidrutam samādideśātibalaṃ raktabījaṃ mahāsuram akṣauhiṇīnāṃ triṃśadbhiḥ koṭibhiḥ parivāritam

Translation

Pulastya dit : Lorsque Caṇḍa et Muṇḍa eurent été mis à mort et que l’armée s’enfuit en désordre, le camp des asuras dépêcha le grand démon Raktabīja, d’une puissance excessive, entouré de trente koṭis d’armées akṣauhiṇī.

Speakers

• Pulastya to Nārada (narrative frame typical of Purāṇic dialogue)

Primary Deities

• Devī (Caṇḍikā)
• Maheśvara (implied via Maheśvarī epithet in surrounding context)

Key Themes

• Devi-Asura conflict
• Escalation of battle after Caṇḍa-Muṇḍa’s death
• Purāṇic military hyperbole (akṣauhiṇī, koṭi)
• Mythic motif of Raktabīja

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does the verse begin with a chapter-colophon phrase ("iti … ekonatriṃśo’dhyāyaḥ") yet continue the narrative?

Purāṇic manuscripts often preserve colophons that mark the end of a prior chapter while the next line resumes the story. Here, the colophon indicates closure of the preceding adhyāya, and the narrative continues with Pulastya’s speech into the next unit.

What is the significance of Raktabīja being ‘surrounded by thirty koṭis of akṣauhiṇīs’?

It signals narrative intensification: after the defeat of key commanders (Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa), the asuras deploy a uniquely dangerous adversary with overwhelming forces. The numbers function as epic magnification rather than logistical census.

Who is Raktabīja in the wider Devī cycle?

Raktabīja is famed for the boon that each drop of his blood produces another asura like him. This makes ordinary combat ineffective and sets up the need for Devī’s specialized strategy (often involving Kālī or a blood-consuming form).