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Shloka 15

Adhyaya 90The Slaying of Shumbha and the Reabsorption of the Goddesses into Ambika

चिच्छेदापततस्तस्य मुद्गरं निशितैः शरैः ।

तथापि सोऽभ्यधावत्तां मुṣ्टिमुद्यम्य वेगवान् ॥

cicchedāpatatas tasya mudgaraṃ niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ / tathāpi so 'bhyadhāvat tāṃ muṣṭim udyamya vegavān

അവൻ മുന്നേ വന്നപ്പോൾ ദേവി മൂർച്ചയുള്ള അമ്പുകളാൽ അവന്റെ ഗദ വെട്ടിമുറിച്ചു. എങ്കിലും ക്രോധവേഗത്തോടെ അതിവേഗം, മുഷ്ടി ഉയർത്തി അവൾക്കു നേരെ പാഞ്ഞുവന്നു।

cicchedacut (off)
ciccheda:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootchid (धातु)
FormPerfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)
āpatataḥof the rushing (one)
āpatataḥ:
Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootā+pat (धातु)
FormPresent active participle (शतृ/वर्तमानकृदन्त), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन), Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं) agreeing with tasya; ‘of (him) who was rushing/attacking’
tasyaof him
tasya:
Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun (सर्वनाम), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)
mudgarammace
mudgaram:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootmudgara (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
niśitaiḥwith sharp
niśitaiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeAdjective
Rootniśita (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); agrees with śaraiḥ
śaraiḥarrows
śaraiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootśara (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)
tathāpinevertheless
tathāpi:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottathā+api (अव्यय)
FormConcessive particle (अपि) with adverb (तथा) → ‘nevertheless’
saḥhe
saḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun, Masculine, Nominative, Singular
abhyadhāvatran towards / charged
abhyadhāvat:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootabhi+dhāv (धातु)
FormImperfect (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)
tāmher
tām:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
muṣṭimfist
muṣṭim:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootmuṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
udyamyahaving raised
udyamya:
Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootud+yam (धातु)
FormAbsolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), ‘having raised/lifted’
vegavānswift / impetuous
vegavān:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootvega-vat (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular; possessive adjective (मतुप्)
Narrative within the Devi Mahatmyam
Devī (Caṇḍikā/Ambikā)
Devī as the disarmer of violence
ShaktismPersistence of egoDisarming force

FAQs

When external instruments fail, stubborn ego resorts to raw aggression; the text highlights the irrational persistence of adharma even after repeated defeat.

Carita: narrative teaching by portraying the psychological profile of the asura—escalation, then desperation.

The shift from weapons to fist symbolizes regression from strategy to instinct; spiritually, it mirrors how unpurified tendencies fall back to crude reactions when challenged.