Slaying of Raktabija Shloka 46 - Vamana Purana | Japanese | Vedapath

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Vamana Purana — Slaying of Raktabija, Shloka 46

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

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्नपतिते रौद्रे सुरशत्रौ भयङ्करे चण्डाद्य मातरो हृष्टाश्चक्रुः किलकिलाध्वनिम्

Transliteration

tasminnapatite raudre suraśatrau bhayaṅkare caṇḍādya mātaro hṛṣṭāścakruḥ kilakilādhvanim

Translation

{"scene_description": "A grand Navamātṛkā/Yoginī mandala: the central Devī radiates into Brahmāṇī, Mṛḍānī, Kumārī with spear and peacock, Vārāhī, Vaiṣṇavī with Garuḍa and Śārṅga, Nārasiṃhī roaring, Aindrī with vajra, and a fierce Mārī/Yoginī with skull garland and hide—arranged in a protective circle.", "primary_figures": ["Central Devī (Śakti)", "Brahmāṇī", "Mṛḍānī", "Kumārī", "Vārāhī", "Vaiṣṇavī", "Nārasiṃhī", "Aindrī", "Mārī (fierce Yoginī)"], "setting": "Mandala-like sacred space with lotus geometry, cremation-ground motifs subtly present for the Yoginī aspect, yet framed within a tīrtha shrine aesthetic.", "color_palette": ["gold", "vermilion", "black", "emerald", "ultramarine", "white", "ochre"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore gold-leaf mandala: central Śakti with radiant halo, surrounded by eight Mātṛkās—Brahmāṇī, Mṛḍānī, Kumārī on peacock with spear, Vārāhī, Vaiṣṇavī with Garuḍa and Śārṅga, Nārasiṃhī roaring, Aindrī with vajra, fierce Mārī/Yoginī with skull garland and hide; ornate arch, jewel inlay, high iconographic clarity.", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature: circular mandala composition in soft pastels; each Mātṛkā delicately rendered with her vāhana and weapons; central Devī calm, outer ring increasingly fierce culminating in Yoginī; fine floral borders and Himalayan landscape hints.", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural: bold, symmetrical Navamātṛkā arrangement with thick outlines; vivid reds/greens/ochres; clear vāhana motifs (Garuḍa, peacock) and weapons (vajra, śakti, bow); fierce Yoginī with skull garland stylized in mural conventions.", "pattachitra_prompt": "Pattachitra scroll: segmented panels naming each Mātṛkā; strong black outlines, patterned textiles, folk depiction of Garuḍa and peacock; Yoginī panel with cremation-ground symbols, skull garland, and siddhi aura; decorative borders throughout."}

Word by Word

तस्मिन्when/while that (event)

अपतितेwhen (he) had fallen/been struck down

रौद्रेfierce/terrible

सुर-शत्रौin the enemy of the gods

भयङ्करेfearsome

चण्ड-आद्याःCaṇḍā and others

मातरःthe Mothers (Mātṛkās)

हृष्टाःdelighted

चक्रुःmade/raised

किलकिला-ध्वनिम्a ‘kilakilā’ clamour

Speakers

Narrator (Purāṇic sūta-style narration) describing events to the listening sages (frame not explicit in the given excerpt).

Primary Deities

ŚivaKātyāyanī (Devī)Mātṛkās (Mothers)Devas (collective)

Key Themes

Triumph over adharmaŚākta participation in cosmic battleMātṛkā cult and battlefield imageryDevāsura conflict

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Who are the “Mothers” (mātaraḥ) mentioned here?

They are the Mātṛkās—fierce, protective mother-goddesses who appear in Purāṇic battle scenes as Śakti-forces assisting the gods (often aligned with Śiva/Devī). The phrase “Caṇḍādyāḥ” signals a list beginning with a fierce form, emphasizing their terrifying, martial nature.

What does “kilakilā-dhvani” convey in a Purāṇic battle context?

It denotes a sharp, ululating victory-cry (often associated with goddesses and warrior retinues). It marks the turning point of battle—public confirmation that the fearsome foe has been brought down.

Is any tīrtha or sacred place encoded in this verse?

No. Unlike the Vāmana Purāṇa’s many geography/tīrtha passages, this śloka is purely narrative and contains no explicit toponyms.