Shloka 19

Adhyaya 9 — Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra’s Mutual Curse: The Āḍi–Baka Battle and Brahmā’s Pacification

Sanskrit

इति सर्वं परित्रस्तं हाहाभूतम् अचेतनम् ।

जगदासीद् सुसम्भ्रान्तं पर्यस्तक्षितिमण्डलम् ॥

Transliteration

iti sarvaṃ paritrastaṃ hāhā-bhūtam acetanam /

jagad āsīt su-sambhrāntaṃ paryasta-kṣiti-maṇḍalam

Translation

அப்போது அனைத்தும் அச்சத்தால் நடுங்கியது—‘ஹா ஹா’ என்ற அலறல்களால் மயங்கிப் போய்; பூமிமண்டலமே புரண்டுவிட்டதுபோல் உலகம் முற்றிலும் குழம்பியது।

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उपसंहारार्थक-निपात (indeclinable particle: “thus”)

• सर्वम्: all, the whole
• सर्वम्: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter sg)

• परित्रस्तम्: terrified
• परित्रस्तम्: Karta (कर्ता/subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-त्रस् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतभावे कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• हाहाभूतम्: wailing ‘hāhā’, lamenting
• हाहाभूतम्: Karta (कर्ता/subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हाहा (अव्यय/उद्गार) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (hāhā-भूत = “become ‘hāhā’/wailing”); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• अचेतनम्: senseless, unconscious
• अचेतनम्: Karta (कर्ता/subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-चेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter sg)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृपद (neuter nom sg)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुसम्भ्रान्तम्: greatly agitated, in panic
• सुसम्भ्रान्तम्: Karta (कर्ता/subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-सम्-भ्रम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: उपसर्गयुक्त धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• पर्यस्तक्षितिमण्डलम्: with the earth-sphere overturned
• पर्यस्तक्षितिमण्डलम्: Karta (कर्ता/subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-अस्/अस् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) + क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (kṣiti-maṇḍala = “circle of earth”); पूर्वपद ‘पर्यस्त’ = क्त-कृदन्त “overturned”; समस्तपद नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speakers

• Narrative voice within the Devi Mahatmyam (frame-speaker not explicit in this verse)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "secondaryRasa": "karuna", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Collective panic
• Lamentation
• Cosmic disorder

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

When order is threatened, even cognition collapses (‘acetanam’). The verse highlights the social-psychological reality of disaster: fear spreads, clarity is lost, and people become incapable of right action without guidance.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Narrative (ākhyāna) with cosmographic imagery; it supports the Purāṇa’s didactic purpose rather than serving as a direct pañcalakṣaṇa catalog.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Overturned earth-sphere’ symbolizes inversion of inner orientation—values and priorities flip under fear—until a higher principle (divine/wise intervention) re-establishes axis and meaning.