Shloka 73

Adhyaya 81 — Suratha and Samadhi Seek Sage Medhas; Introduction to Mahamaya and the Madhukaitabha Origin Account

Sanskrit

तावप्यतिबलोन्मत्तौ महामायाविमोहितौ ।

उक्तवन्तौ वरोऽस्मत्तो व्रियतामिति केशवम् ॥

Transliteration

tāv apy atibalonmattau mahāmāyāvimohitau | uktavantau varo 'smatto vriyatām iti keśavam ||

Translation

Even those two, made wildly arrogant by their great strength and deluded by Mahāmāyā, said to Keśava: “Choose a boon from us.”

Word by Word

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Dual (द्विवचन) सर्वनाम

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात)

• ati-bala-unmattau: exceedingly strong and frenzied
• ati-bala-unmattau: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + bala (प्रातिपदिक) + unmatta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Dual (द्विवचन); adjective qualifying 'tau'

• mahā-māyā-vimohitau: deluded by great māyā
• mahā-māyā-vimohitau: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + māyā (प्रातिपदिक) + vimohita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √muh मोहने, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Dual (द्विवचन); past passive participle used adjectivally

• uktavantau: they said
• uktavantau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ukta-vat (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √vac वचने, क्त + वत्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Dual (द्विवचन); periphrastic perfect sense: 'having said/they said'

• varaḥ: a boon
• varaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• asmattas: from us
• asmattas: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन); Vedic/epic form -tas = -t

• vriyatām: let it be chosen
• vriyatām: Vidhi (विधेय/imperative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛ (वृञ् वरणे)
• Form: Loṭ-lakāra (लोट्/imperative), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Ātmanepada; passive/impersonal sense: 'let (it) be chosen'

• iti: thus
• iti: Vakyopasamhara (वाक्योपसंहार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (इति-निपात)

• keśavam: Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• keśavam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

Speakers

• Ṛṣi (narrator within Devī Māhātmyam) recounting events to the listener

Primary Deities

• Viṣṇu (Keśava)

Shakti Aspects

• Mahāmāyā (as the deluding power enabling the demons’ self-offer of a boon)

Key Themes

• Shaktism
• Māyā (divine delusion)
• Divine strategy in slaying demons
• Boons and their reversal

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Power without discernment becomes self-defeating: deluded by Mahāmāyā, the demons offer a boon that becomes the instrument of their own destruction.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Primarily relates to Manvantara (the Devī Māhātmyam is framed within a Manvantara account), with an itihāsa-style episode illustrating divine intervention.

What is the esoteric significance?

Mahāmāyā is shown as the cosmic power that turns ego (asuric pride) into a trap; even a ‘gift’ offered from delusion becomes the means of liberation of the cosmos from obstruction.