Shloka 18

Adhyaya 87 — The Slaying of Dhumralochana and the Emergence of Kali; the Fall of Chanda and Munda (Chamunda Named)

Sanskrit

ततो जहासातिरुषा भीमं भैरवनादिनी ।

काली करालवक्त्रान्तर्दुर्दर्शदशनोज्ज्वला ॥

Transliteration

tato jahāsa atiruṣā bhīmaṃ bhairavanādinī | kālī karālavaktrāntar durdarśadaśanojjvalā ||

Translation

అప్పుడు కాళీ తీవ్రమైన క్రోధంతో భయంకరంగా నవ్వింది—భైరవ గర్జన వలె ఘోరనాదంతో; ఆమె వికటంగా నోరు విప్పి, మండే దంతాలు చూడటానికి దారుణంగా ఉన్నాయి.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb): then/thereupon

• जहास: laughed
• जहास: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हस् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 3rd sg perfect: laughed

• अति-रुषा: with great wrath
• अति-रुषा: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + रुष्/रुषा (प्रातिपदिक: क्रोध)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (with excessive anger)

• भीमम्: terribly
• भीमम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular used adverbially (terribly/fiercely)

• भैरव-नादिनी: uttering a dreadful roar
• भैरव-नादिनी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भैरव (प्रातिपदिक) + नादिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (she who makes a dreadful roar)

• काली: Kālī
• काली: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (Kālī)

• कराल-वक्त्र-अन्तः: within (her) gaping mouth
• कराल-वक्त्र-अन्तः: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कराल (प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तः (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत्/अव्यय-प्रयोग: 'within the terrible mouth'; locative sense as indeclinable compound

• दुर्दर्श-दशन-उज्ज्वला: blazing with dreadful teeth
• दुर्दर्श-दशन-उज्ज्वला: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्दर्श (प्रातिपदिक) + दशन (प्रातिपदिक) + उज्ज्वला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (having teeth hard to look at, blazing)

Speakers

• Narrator within Devi Mahatmyam

Primary Deities

• Kālī
• Devī (Chandikā as the principal Goddess in the cycle)

Shakti Aspects

• Kālī

Key Themes

• Shaktism
• Fierce compassion (raudra) as divine protection
• Terror as a mode of grace against adharma

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The divine ‘fierce’ form is not cruelty but protective necessity: when adharma becomes violent and entrenched, the restoring power manifests in a terrifying mode to end harm decisively.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Carita: a theophany within a battle episode. It reinforces dharma by depicting the Goddess as the ultimate regulator of cosmic order.

What is the esoteric significance?

Kālī’s laugh/roar represents the shattering of fear-based delusion; ‘dreadful to behold’ signals the ego’s inability to face impermanence (kāla). The blazing teeth symbolize discriminative power that ‘chews’ through illusion.