Shloka 56

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

Sanskrit

एवं दैत्येन्द्र रत्नानि समस्तान्याहृतानि ते ।

स्त्रीरत्नमेषा कल्याणी त्वया कस्मान्न गृह्यते ॥

Transliteration

evaṃ daityendra ratnāni samastāny āhṛtāni te / strīratnam eṣā kalyāṇī tvayā kasmān na gṛhyate

Translation

ดังนี้แล โอ้เจ้าแห่งไทตยะ อัญมณีทั้งปวงถูกนำมาถวายแก่ท่านแล้ว; นางผู้นี้เป็น ‘รัตนะแห่งสตรี’ อันเป็นมงคล—เหตุใดท่านจึงไม่รับไว้

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• दैत्य-इन्द्र: O lord of the demons
• दैत्य-इन्द्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दैत्यानाम् इन्द्रः)

• रत्नानि: jewels
• रत्नानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• समस्तानि: all
• समस्तानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• आहृतानि: brought/obtained
• आहृतानि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-हृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; कर्मणि (brought/obtained)

• ते: for you/your
• ते: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th, Genitive), एकवचन

• स्त्री-रत्नम्: a jewel of a woman
• स्त्री-रत्नम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्त्रीणां रत्नम् = jewel among women)

• एषा: this (woman)
• एषा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कल्याणी: auspicious/beautiful
• कल्याणी: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कल्याणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd, Instrumental), एकवचन

• कस्मात्: why/from what reason
• कस्मात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th, Ablative), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• गृह्यते: is accepted/taken
• गृह्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगसदृशः (is taken/accepted)

Speakers

• Narrative voice (asura-court reasoning leading to envoy mission)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "raudra", "secondaryRasa": "bībhatsa", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

• Devī
• Śumbha (implied)
• Niśumbha (context)

Shakti Aspects

• Devī (Kalyāṇī as epithet in this verse)

Key Themes

• Objectification vs divine autonomy
• Asuric desire
• Shakti’s independence

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

A central ethical tension is exposed: the asura mindset treats persons—and even the Goddess—as commodities. The Devi Mahatmyam answers this by asserting Shakti’s absolute autonomy and the futility of coercive desire.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Didactic narrative (ākhyāna) illustrating dharma/adharma rather than a pancalakṣaṇa catalog section.

What is the esoteric significance?

Calling the Goddess ‘strīratna’ is a deliberate narrative irony: Shakti is the source of all ‘ratna’ (value), yet the asura reverses the hierarchy, imagining he can possess the Source as one more object.