Shloka 23

Adhyaya 92 — Devi’s Assurance of Protection and the Fruits of Reciting the Devi Mahatmyam

Sanskrit

युद्धेषु चरितं यन्मे दुष्टदैत्यनिबर्हणम् ।

तस्मिन् श्रुते वैरिकृतं भयं पुंसां न जायते ॥

Transliteration

yuddheṣu caritaṃ yan me duṣṭa-daitya-nibarhaṇam | tasmin śrute vairi-kṛtaṃ bhayaṃ puṃsāṃ na jāyate ||

Translation

दुष्ट दैत्यांचा नाश करणारी माझी रणकर्मे/युद्धचरित्रे जेव्हा श्रवण केली जातात, तेव्हा लोकांच्या मनात शत्रूंमुळे उत्पन्न होणारे भय उरत नाही।

Word by Word

• युद्धेषु: in battles
• युद्धेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी बहुवचन (locative plural)

• चरितम्: deed, exploit
• चरितम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: carita (प्रातिपदिक; क्त from √car)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; here as subject with yat

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; relative pronoun referring to caritam

• मे: of me, my
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी एकवचन (genitive singular)

• दुष्टदैत्यनिबर्हणम्: the destruction of the wicked demons
• दुष्टदैत्यनिबर्हणम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + daitya (प्रातिपदिक) + nibarhaṇa (प्रातिपदिक; from ni-√bṛh/√barh ‘to destroy’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-समाससन्निकर्ष: 'दुष्टाः दैत्याः' (karmadhāraya) + तेषां निबर्हणम् (tatpuruṣa)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी एकवचन (locative singular)

• श्रुते: when it is heard
• श्रुते: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śruta (प्रातिपदिक; क्त from √śru)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन; 'when heard'

• वैरिकृतम्: caused by an enemy
• वैरिकृतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaira (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (प्रातिपदिक; क्त from √kṛ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: वैरं कृतम् = 'caused by an enemy'

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• पुंसाम्: of men/people
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṃs (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• जायते: arises
• जायते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; भावे/कर्तरि: 'arises/is born'

Speakers

• The Goddess (Devi) in phalaśruti

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Devi

Shakti Aspects

• Devi as warrior-protectress (Cāmuṇḍā/Chandikā-Durgā ethos
• though not named here)

Key Themes

• Shaktism
• Abhaya (fearlessness)
• Protection from enemies
• Remembrance of divine victory

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Remembering divine victory over adharma is framed as a source of courage: the listener internalizes the principle that injustice is ultimately defeatable, reducing reactive fear and strengthening resolve.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Narrative theology (māhātmya) with an efficacy claim; not a cosmological/genealogical segment.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Enemies’ can signify both outer adversaries and inner vṛttis (anger, doubt). Hearing the demon-slaying motif encodes the conquest of tamas/rajas by awakened śakti, yielding abhaya as a spiritual fruit.