Shloka 15

Adhyaya 82 — The Rise of Mahishasura and the Manifestation of the Goddess from the Gods’ Tejas

Sanskrit

ब्रह्मणस्तेजसा पादौ तदङ्गुल्योरर्कतेजसा ।

वसूनाञ्च कराङ्गुल्यः कौबेरेण च नासिका ॥

Transliteration

brahmaṇas tejasā pādau tad-aṅgulyor arka-tejasā |

vasūnāṃ ca karāṅgulyaḥ kaubereṇa ca nāsikā ||

Translation

ब्रह्मतेजाने तिचे चरण घडले, सूर्यतेजाने तिच्या पायाच्या बोटांची रचना झाली. वसूंमधून तिच्या बोटांच्या अंगुली उत्पन्न झाल्या आणि कुबेरतेजाने तिची नासिका निर्मिली गेली.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन; ‘of Brahmā/Brahman’

• तेजसा: by (his) radiance
• तेजसा: करण (करणम्/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), एकवचन; ‘by/with splendor’

• पादौ: (her) two feet
• पादौ: कर्म/उत्पाद्य (Karma; produced parts)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; ‘two feet’

• तत्: of her/that
• तत्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/Determiner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्धार्थे (genitival sense), अव्यक्त-प्रयोग; ‘of that (goddess)’—used as determiner for aṅgulyoḥ

• अङ्गुल्योः: of the two toes
• अङ्गुल्योः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Genitive/Locative), द्विवचन; here genitive ‘of the two toes/fingers’

• अर्कतेजसा: by the Sun’s radiance
• अर्कतेजसा: करण (Instrument/करणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क-तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘arkasya tejasā’

• वसूनाम्: of the Vasus
• वसूनाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘of the Vasus’

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कराङ्गुल्यः: the fingers (of the hands)
• कराङ्गुल्यः: कर्म/उत्पाद्य (Karma; produced parts)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर-अङ्गुली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘करस्य अङ्गुल्यः’

• कौबेरेण: by Kubera’s (splendor)
• कौबेरेण: करण (Instrument/करणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौबेर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘by Kubera’s (power/splendor)’ (elliptic with tejasā understood)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नासिका: the nose
• नासिका: कर्म/उत्पाद्य (Karma; produced part)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नासिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; ‘nose’

Speakers

• Devi Mahatmyam narrator (within Markandeya Purana’s frame narration)

Primary Deities

• Brahmā
• Sūrya (Arka)
• Vasus
• Kubera
• Devī (Mahādevī)

Shakti Aspects

• Devi as the emergent Mahādevī/Chandikā form (pre-battle manifestation)

Key Themes

• Shaktism
• Divine embodiment
• Deva-tejas (combined energies of gods)
• Sacred iconography

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The Goddess is presented as the integrated potency (śakti) of the entire divine order; when dharma is threatened, the gods’ scattered powers converge into a single, purposive agency—implying unity of intention and cooperation against adharma.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Primarily within Vaṃśānucarita/Itihāsa-style narrative (accounts of divine deeds) rather than sarga/pratisarga; it is a theologically framed episode embedded in the Purāṇic narrative fabric.

What is the esoteric significance?

Each body-part arising from a deity symbolizes that all faculties (movement, perception, action, discernment) are ultimately expressions of one Shakti; the divine body becomes a map of cosmic functions consolidated into the Devi.