Shloka 28

Adhyaya 83 — The Slaying of Mahishasura’s Armies and the Final Death of Mahishasura

Sanskrit

इति क्रोधसमाध्मातमापतान्तं महासुरम् ।

दृष्ट्वा सा चण्डिका कोपं तद्वधाय तदाकरोत् ॥

Transliteration

iti krodhasamādhmātamāpatāntaṃ mahāsuram /

dṛṣṭvā sā caṇḍikā kopaṃ tadvadhāya tadākarot

Translation

ਕ੍ਰੋਧ ਨਾਲ ਫੂਲਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਅਤੇ ਤੇਜ਼ੀ ਨਾਲ ਦੌੜਦਾ ਆਉਂਦਾ ਉਸ ਮਹਾਂ ਅਸੁਰ ਨੂੰ ਵੇਖ ਕੇ, ਚੰਡਿਕਾ ਨੇ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਸੰਹਾਰ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਤਦ ਰੌਦ੍ਰ ਰੂਪ ਧਾਰਿਆ।

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/प्रकारवाचक निपात (quotative/thus)

• क्रोध-समाध्मातम्: swollen with anger
• क्रोध-समाध्मातम्: कर्म (Karma/Object) विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक) + समाध्मात (कृदन्त; सम्-आ-√ध्मा 'to inflate')
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) महासुरम् इति; तत्पुरुषः—क्रोधेन समाध्मातम् (inflated/swollen with anger)

• आपतान्तम्: rushing toward; attacking
• आपतान्तम्: कर्म (Karma/Object) विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आपतत् (कृदन्त; आ-√पत् 'to rush/fall upon')
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) महासुरम् इति

• महासुरम्: the great demon
• महासुरम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: पूर्वकाल क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal): 'having seen'

• सा: she
• सा: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• चण्डिका: Caṇḍikā (the Goddess)
• चण्डिका: कर्ता (Karta/Subject) (अप्पोजिशन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष्य (proper noun/title)

• कोपम्: anger
• कोपम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तद्-वधाय: for his slaying
• तद्-वधाय: सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन (Sampradāna/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक) + वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे चतुर्थी (dative of purpose): 'for his killing'

• तदा: then
• तदा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• अकरोत्: she made; she did
• अकरोत्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speakers

• Narrative voice within Devi Mahatmyam

Primary Deities

• Caṇḍikā (Devī)
• Mahīṣāsura

Shakti Aspects

• Caṇḍikā (explicit)

Key Themes

• Shaktism
• Divine wrath as righteous force
• Protection of worlds
• Demon-slaying (daitya-nigraha)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text distinguishes asuric anger (self-driven destruction) from divine ‘kopa’ as a controlled, purpose-bound force used for loka-rakṣā (protection of the worlds).

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Carita: exemplary divine intervention narrative rather than cosmogenesis or genealogy.

What is the esoteric significance?

Caṇḍikā’s ‘wrath’ symbolizes transformed energy—raw affect is sublimated into śakti that cuts through obstruction (avidyā/tamas) rather than multiplying it.