Shloka 76
Adhyaya 85 — The Gods’ Hymn to the Goddess and the Emergence of Kaushiki; Shumbha Sends His Envoy
इन्द्राद्याः सकला देवास्तस्थुर्येषां न संयुगे ।
शुम्भादीनां कथं तेषां स्त्री प्रयास्यसि सम्मुखम् ॥
indrādyāḥ sakalā devās tasthur yeṣāṃ na saṃyuge | śumbhādīnāṃ kathaṃ teṣāṃ strī prayāsyasi saṃmukham ||
Indra dan semua dewa tidak mampu bertahan teguh di hadapan mereka dalam pertempuran; bagaimana mungkin engkau, seorang perempuan, menghadapi Śumbha dan yang lainnya?
FAQs
The gods’ inability signals that cosmic order is restored not merely by institutional power (devas) but by the deeper ground—Śakti—invoked through devotion and righteousness.
Manvantara-ākhyāna with dharma-illustration: the episode shows the restoration of rule (vaṃśānucarita/rajakathā elements are secondary here).
Indra symbolizes egoic sovereignty; its defeat implies the collapse of ordinary control. The path forward is the awakening of the inner Devī who can face ‘Śumbha-ādi’ (the whole train of afflictions).