Shloka 5

Adhyaya 85 — The Gods’ Hymn to the Goddess and the Emergence of Kaushiki; Shumbha Sends His Envoy

Sanskrit

तयास्माकं वरो दत्तो यथाऽपत्त्सु स्मृताखिलाः ।

भवतां नाशयिष्यामि तत्क्षणात् परमापदः ॥

Transliteration

tayāsmākaṃ varo datto yathā'patsu smṛtākhilāḥ / bhavatāṃ nāśayiṣyāmi tatkṣaṇāt paramāpadaḥ

Translation

सा अस्मभ्यं वरं दत्तवती— ‘यदा यदा यूयं सर्वे आपत्काले मां स्मरिष्यथ, तदा तदा अहं तत्क्षणमेव युष्माकं महतीरापदः नाशयिष्यामि’ इति।

Word by Word

• tayā: by her
• tayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (fem), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (sg)

• asmākam: of us
• asmākam: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (pl)

• varaḥ: a boon
• varaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (sg)

• dattaḥ: given
• dattaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dā (दा धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा (1st/Nom), एकवचन (sg)

• yathā: as/when
• yathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, यथार्थे (correlative adverb: 'as/when')

• āpatsu: in calamities
• āpatsu: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āpad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (fem), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (pl)

• smṛtāḥ: remembered (by you)
• smṛtāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √smṛ (स्मृ धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा (1st/Nom), बहुवचन (pl)

• akhilāḥ: all (of you)
• akhilāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akhila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा (1st/Nom), बहुवचन (pl)

• bhavatām: of you (hon.)
• bhavatām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भवत्-शब्द (honorific pronoun), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (pl)

• nāśayiṣyāmi: I will destroy
• nāśayiṣyāmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √naś (नश् धातु) [णिच् causative]
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (sg), परस्मैपद, णिच् (causative)

• tat-kṣaṇāt: from that very moment
• tat-kṣaṇāt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad + kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष ‘तत् क्षणः’ (determinative), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (sg)

• parama-āpadaḥ: the greatest calamities
• parama-āpadaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama + āpad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय ‘परमा आपदः’, स्त्रीलिङ्ग (fem), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (pl)

Speakers

• Narrative report of Devi’s earlier boon; sets up the Devas’ act of stotra (hymn)

Primary Deities

• Devi
• Devas (collectively)

Shakti Aspects

• ['Protectress invoked by smaraṇa']

Key Themes

• Grace (vara)
• Remembrance as sādhanā
• Immediate divine intervention
• Devotional theology

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse elevates bhakti as an efficacious discipline: remembrance in crisis is itself a dharmic act that reconnects one to the saving power of Śakti; it also implies accountability—turning to the divine rather than despair or adharma.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Not sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa focus; it is a protective-theology motif (rakṣā) embedded in narrative, illustrating the Purāṇic role of teaching upāsanā and its fruits.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Immediate destruction of calamity’ points to the transformative shift when awareness recollects its source (Śakti): the ‘āpadaḥ’ are both outer afflictions and inner obscurations dispelled by recollection.