Shloka 28

Adhyaya 83 — The Slaying of Mahishasura’s Armies and the Final Death of Mahishasura

Sanskrit

इति क्रोधसमाध्मातमापतान्तं महासुरम् ।

दृष्ट्वा सा चण्डिका कोपं तद्वधाय तदाकरोत् ॥

Transliteration

iti krodhasamādhmātamāpatāntaṃ mahāsuram /

dṛṣṭvā sā caṇḍikā kopaṃ tadvadhāya tadākarot

Translation

ക്രോധത്തിൽ വീർത്ത് വേഗത്തിൽ പാഞ്ഞുവരുന്ന ആ മഹാസുരനെ കണ്ടപ്പോൾ, ചണ്ഡിക അവനെ വധിക്കുവാൻ അപ്പോൾ രോഷം ധരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/प्रकारवाचक निपात (quotative/thus)

• क्रोध-समाध्मातम्: swollen with anger
• क्रोध-समाध्मातम्: कर्म (Karma/Object) विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक) + समाध्मात (कृदन्त; सम्-आ-√ध्मा 'to inflate')
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) महासुरम् इति; तत्पुरुषः—क्रोधेन समाध्मातम् (inflated/swollen with anger)

• आपतान्तम्: rushing toward; attacking
• आपतान्तम्: कर्म (Karma/Object) विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आपतत् (कृदन्त; आ-√पत् 'to rush/fall upon')
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) महासुरम् इति

• महासुरम्: the great demon
• महासुरम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: पूर्वकाल क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal): 'having seen'

• सा: she
• सा: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• चण्डिका: Caṇḍikā (the Goddess)
• चण्डिका: कर्ता (Karta/Subject) (अप्पोजिशन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष्य (proper noun/title)

• कोपम्: anger
• कोपम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तद्-वधाय: for his slaying
• तद्-वधाय: सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन (Sampradāna/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक) + वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे चतुर्थी (dative of purpose): 'for his killing'

• तदा: then
• तदा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• अकरोत्: she made; she did
• अकरोत्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speakers

• Narrative voice within Devi Mahatmyam

Primary Deities

• Caṇḍikā (Devī)
• Mahīṣāsura

Shakti Aspects

• Caṇḍikā (explicit)

Key Themes

• Shaktism
• Divine wrath as righteous force
• Protection of worlds
• Demon-slaying (daitya-nigraha)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text distinguishes asuric anger (self-driven destruction) from divine ‘kopa’ as a controlled, purpose-bound force used for loka-rakṣā (protection of the worlds).

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Carita: exemplary divine intervention narrative rather than cosmogenesis or genealogy.

What is the esoteric significance?

Caṇḍikā’s ‘wrath’ symbolizes transformed energy—raw affect is sublimated into śakti that cuts through obstruction (avidyā/tamas) rather than multiplying it.