Shloka 12

Adhyaya 82 — The Rise of Mahishasura and the Manifestation of the Goddess from the Gods’ Tejas

Sanskrit

अतुलं तत्र तत्तेजः सर्वदेवशरीरजम् । एकस्थं तदभून्नारी व्याप्तलोकत्रयं त्विषा ॥

Transliteration

atulaṃ tatra tat tejaḥ sarvadevaśarīrajam / ekasthaṃ tad abhūn nārī vyāptalokatrayaṃ tviṣā

Translation

तत्र सर्वदेवदेहसमुद्भूतं तदनुपमं तेज एकत्र समवेत्य स्त्रीरूपमभवत्, त्रैलोक्यं स्वप्रभया पूरयन्ती।

Word by Word

• अतुलम्: incomparable
• अतुलम्: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तेजः-विशेषण

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• तत्: that
• तत्: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (demonstrative)

• तेजः: radiance
• तेजः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सर्व-देव-शरीर-जम्: born from the bodies of all the gods
• सर्व-देव-शरीर-जम्: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + शरीर (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (√जन्-सम्भव, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: 'सर्वेषां देवानां शरीरात् जातम्' (born from the bodies of all gods)

• एकस्थम्: concentrated in one place
• एकस्थम्: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (√स्था, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: 'एकस्मिन् स्थाने स्थितम्' (situated in one place)

• तत्: that (radiance)
• तत्: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पूर्वोक्त-तेजः (that radiance)

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: क्रिया (Verb/आख्यात)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नारी: a woman
• नारी: प्रथमा-विधेय (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• व्याप्त-लोक-त्रयम्: pervading the three worlds
• व्याप्त-लोक-त्रयम्: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याप्त (√व्याप् + क्त, कृदन्त) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: 'लोकत्रयं व्याप्तम्' (pervading the three worlds) — नारी/तेजः-विशेषण

• त्विषा: with splendour
• त्विषा: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्विष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrumental: 'by/with splendour')

Speakers

• Rishi narrator

Primary Deities

• Devi (unified Shakti)
• Devas (collectively)

Shakti Aspects

• Devī as sarvadevamayī; imminent identification with Durgā/Chandikā for Mahishāsura-vadha

Key Themes

• Embodiment of Shakti
• Sarvadevamayi Devi
• Theophany
• Cosmic pervasion

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse asserts a central Shakta doctrine: the supreme protective power can manifest in a concrete, approachable form—Devī—without losing her cosmic pervasiveness.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Carita (divine manifestation narrative). It is not sarga (creation of the cosmos) but a ‘special manifestation’ for restoring dharma.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Woman’ here signifies Śakti as the dynamic, form-giving principle—energy becoming intelligible and efficacious. The three-world pervasion indicates that this power operates across gross, subtle, and causal levels.