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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

Ketika dia mara, baginda mematahkan gadanya dengan anak panah yang tajam. Namun demikian, pantas dengan amarah, dia menerpa baginda sambil mengangkat penumbuknya.

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.