Shloka 32

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

Sanskrit

करेण च महासींहं तं चकर्ष जगर्‍ज च ।

कर्षतस्तु करं देवी खड्गेन निरकृन्तत ॥

Transliteration

kareṇa ca mahāsiṃhaṃ taṃ cakarṣa jagarja ca /

karṣatastu karaṃ devī khaḍgena nirakṛntata

Translation

เขาใช้ งวง ลากสิงโตใหญ่พร้อมคำรามกึกก้อง; แต่ขณะลากนั้นเอง พระเทวีทรงฟันงวงของเขาด้วยพระขรรค์จนขาด।

Word by Word

• kareṇa: with (his) hand/trunk
• kareṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental); एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conjunction

• mahāsiṃham: the great lion
• mahāsiṃham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + siṃha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् सिंहः); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• tam: him/that one
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• cakarṣa: dragged/pulled
• cakarṣa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन

• jagarja: roared
• jagarja: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: garj (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conjunction

• karṣataḥ: of the one dragging
• karṣataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive); एकवचन; ‘of (him) who was dragging’

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adversative particle (निपात)

• karam: hand/trunk
• karam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• devī: the Goddess
• devī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• khaḍgena: with a sword
• khaḍgena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaḍga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• nirakṛntat: cut off
• nirakṛntat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛt (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन; उपसर्ग: निर्-

Speakers

• Narrative voice within Devi Mahatmyam

Primary Deities

• Devī (Ambikā/Caṇḍikā)
• Mahīṣāsura
• Devī’s lion (vāhana/companion)

Shakti Aspects

• Devī as warrior; Ambikā/Caṇḍikā continuity

Key Themes

• Shaktism
• Protection of Devī’s vāhana
• Decapitation/severing motif
• Tactical battle imagery

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Devī protects the instruments of dharma (here, her lion) and removes the very ‘grasping power’ of the adversary (the trunk). Evil is weakened by cutting its capacity to seize and control.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Carita: episodic combat narrative within the Devi Mahatmyam portion of the Purāṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

The trunk as ‘grasping’ symbolizes attachment and appropriation; severing it indicates vairāgya (dispassion) enforced by divine discernment.