Shloka 48

Sati's Death & Virabhadra — Sati’s Death and the Assault on Daksha’s Sacrifice: Virabhadra versus the Devas

Devanagari script

मुशलं सगदं दृष्ट्वा लाङ्गलं च निवारितम् वीरभद्राय चिक्षेप चक्रं क्रोधात् खगध्वजः

Transliteration

muśalaṃ sagadaṃ dṛṣṭvā lāṅgalaṃ ca nivāritam vīrabhadrāya cikṣepa cakraṃ krodhāt khagadhvajaḥ

Translation

Voyant le muśala et la massue, ainsi que le lāṅgala, repoussés, Khagadhvaja, saisi de colère, lança le disque (cakra) sur Vīrabhadra.

Word by Word

• muśalam: club/pestle
• muśalam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muśala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• sa-gadam: together with the mace / accompanied by a mace
• sa-gadam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/सह) + gadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva (सह/sa- ‘with’ + noun), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying muśalam

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), indeclinable; prior action

• lāṅgalam: plough
• lāṅgalam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lāṅgala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्यसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• nivāritam: checked/repelled
• nivāritam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-√vṛ (धातु) + nivārita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); agreeing with lāṅgalam

• vīrabhadrāya: to Vīrabhadra
• vīrabhadrāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīrabhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन)

• cikṣepa: threw
• cikṣepa: Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṣip (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada

• cakram: discus
• cakram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• krodhāt: from anger/out of wrath
• krodhāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krodha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन); cause/source

• khagadhvajaḥ: Khagadhvaja (he whose banner is the bird; Viṣṇu)
• khagadhvajaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaga + dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Bahuvrīhi (yasya dhvajaḥ khagaḥ), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

Speakers

• Narratorial layer (traditionally Pulastya → Nārada framework
• not explicit in given verse)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu/Krishna (Khagadhvaja)
• Vīrabhadra

Key Themes

• Vaishnavism
• Shaivism
• Divine Weapons (cakra)
• Escalation in Combat
• Emotion (krodha) and its consequences

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse warns that frustration can escalate conflict (krodha leading to cakra-throwing). Purāṇic ethics often treats anger as a catalyst that must be mastered even by the mighty.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Again, carita/vamśānucarita-style narration: an action sequence within divine history, used to convey theology and dharma through story rather than cosmogenesis or genealogical catalog alone.

What is the symbolic significance?

The cakra typically signifies Viṣṇu’s sovereign, dharma-establishing authority. Its appearance after other weapons are checked marks narrative escalation and highlights the hierarchy of āyudhas, while still keeping the Śaiva figure (Vīrabhadra) central—supporting a non-exclusive theological landscape.