Shloka 49

Adhyaya 88 — The Manifestation of the Matrikas and the Slaying of Raktabija

Sanskrit

स चापि गदया दैत्यः सर्वा एवाहनत् पृथक् ।

मातः कोपसमाविष्टो रक्तबीजो महासुरः ॥

Transliteration

sa cāpi gadayā daityaḥ sarvā evāhanat pṛthak | mātaḥ kopasamāviṣṭo raktabījo mahāsuraḥ ||

Translation

Asura agung itu juga—Raktabīja, raksasa asura yang besar—dikuasai murka yang menggelegak, lalu memukul setiap seorang daripada mereka satu demi satu dengan belantan miliknya.

Word by Word

सःhe

चand

अपिalso

गदयाwith a mace

दैत्यःthe Daitya (demon)

सर्वाःall (of them)

एवindeed

आहनत्struck / smote

पृथक्separately

मातःO Mother!

कोप-समाविष्टःpossessed by anger

रक्तबीजःRaktabīja

महासुरःthe great demon

Speakers

Ṛṣi (narrator) speaking within the Devi Mahatmyam frame (traditional: Markandeya recounts to the inquirer in Devi Mahatmyam)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

Caṇḍikā (Devī)Raktabīja

Shakti Aspects

Mātṛkāḥ (Mothers) implied; Chandikā central in nearby verses

Key Themes

ShaktismDivine battle (Devī-māhātmya)Wrath as a demonic impulseTactical problem of blood-born replication

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Unchecked krodha (wrath) drives the asura to indiscriminate violence. The text contrasts demonic rage with the Devī’s later strategic, dharma-aligned response—power guided by discernment rather than impulse.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This passage belongs to ancillary narrative (ākhyāna) rather than sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita. In Purāṇic classification, it functions as a devotional-heroic upākhyāna within the larger Purāṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

The mace symbolizes blunt, undifferentiated force. Raktabīja’s anger-driven striking foreshadows the need for a subtler solution: not merely defeating the body, but preventing the regenerative ‘seed’ (bīja) principle from reproducing.