Vamana Purana — Slaying of Raktabija, Shloka 62

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

Devanagari script

ब्रह्माणी त्वं मृडानी वरशिखिगमना शक्तिहस्ता कुमारी वाराही त्वं सुवक्त्रा खगपतिगमना वैष्णवी त्वं सशार्ङ्गो दुर्दृश्या नारसिंही घुरघुरितरवा त्वं तथैन्द्री सवज्रा त्वं मारी चर्ममुण्डाशवगमनरता योगिनी योगसिद्धा

Transliteration

brahmāṇī tvaṃ mṛḍānī varaśikhigamanā śaktihastā kumārī vārāhī tvaṃ suvaktrā khagapatigamanā vaiṣṇavī tvaṃ saśārṅgo durdṛśyā nārasiṃhī ghuraghuritaravā tvaṃ tathaindrī savajrā tvaṃ mārī carmamuṇḍāśavagamanaratā yoginī yogasiddhā

Translation

Tu es Brahmāṇī; tu es Mṛḍānī. Tu es Kumārī, qui se meut avec le paon splendide, la lance à la main. Tu es Vārāhī, au visage gracieux; tu es Vaiṣṇavī, qui chemine avec le seigneur des oiseaux et porte l’arc Śārṅga. Tu es la difficile à contempler Nārasiṃhī, dont le rugissement gronde profondément; de même tu es Aindrī, portant le vajra. Tu es Mārī—qui se plaît à monter le cheval, vêtue de peau et parée d’une guirlande de crânes; tu es Yoginī, accomplie dans les siddhi du yoga.

Speakers

• Unspecified in the provided excerpt (stotra voice enumerating Devi’s manifold śaktis).

Primary Deities

• Devi (Śakti)
• Brahmā
• Śiva (Mṛḍa)
• Skanda/Kumāra
• Viṣṇu (implied via Vaiṣṇavī and Śārṅga)
• Varāha (implied via Vārāhī)
• Narasiṃha (implied via Nārasiṃhī)
• Indra (implied via Aindrī)

Key Themes

• Mātṛkā theology (deities’ powers embodied as Goddesses)
• Shaiva–Vaishnava unity through Śakti
• Fierce protection and apotropaic power (durdṛśyā, roar, skull-garland imagery)
• Yogic attainment and siddhi (yoginī, yoga-siddhā)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Is this verse describing the Saptamātṛkās (Seven Mothers) or a broader set of Śaktis?

It clearly aligns with the Mātṛkā principle—male deities’ powers personified as goddesses (Brahmāṇī, Mṛḍānī/Māheśvarī, Kumārī, Vaiṣṇavī, Vārāhī, Nārasiṃhī, Aindrī). The inclusion of ‘Mārī’ and ‘Yoginī’ expands beyond the standard seven, indicating a wider Śākta field of fierce and yogic manifestations.

Why are weapons and mounts emphasized (peacock, Garuḍa, vajra, Śārṅga)?

In Purāṇic stuti, vāhana (mount) and āyudha (weapon) function as compact identifiers of divine power-lines and roles. They also signal the Goddess as the operational energy (śakti) behind each deity’s cosmic function—war, protection, sovereignty, and the destruction of adharma.

What does the ‘Mārī… skull-garland… hide-clad… horse-riding’ imagery convey?

It marks a fierce, liminal protective form: one who confronts impurity, death, and terror directly and thereby neutralizes them. Such imagery is typical of apotropaic Devi forms invoked for warding off calamities (including disease) and for safeguarding sacred space and pilgrims.