Shloka 18

Adhyaya 82 — The Rise of Mahishasura and the Manifestation of the Goddess from the Gods’ Tejas

Sanskrit

ततः समस्तदेवानां तेजोराशिसमुद्भवाम् ।

तां विलोक्य मुदं प्रापुरमराः महिषार्दिताः ॥

Transliteration

tataḥ samasta-devānāṃ tejo-rāśi-samudbhavām |

tāṃ vilokya mudaṃ prāpur amarā mahiṣārditāḥ ||

Translation

پھر جب سب دیوتاؤں کے نور کے انبار سے پیدا ہوئی اُس کو دیکھا گیا تو مہیشاسُر سے ستائے ہوئے اَمر (دیوتا) خوشی سے بھر گئے۔

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: देश-कालाधिकरण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘thereupon/from that’

• समस्तदेवानाम्: of all the gods
• समस्तदेवानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समस्त-देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘समस्ताः देवाः’ → ‘of all the gods’

• तेजोराशिसमुद्भवाम्: born from a mass of radiance
• तेजोराशिसमुद्भवाम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तेजस्-राशि-समुद्भवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: ‘तेजसां राशेः समुद्भवा’ qualifying ‘ताम्’

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘her’

• विलोक्य: having seen
• विलोक्य: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Gerund; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+लोक् (धातु) → विलोक्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; ‘having seen’

• मुदम्: joy
• मुदम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्/मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘joy’

• प्रापुः: attained
• प्रापुः: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘attained’

• अमराः: the gods
• अमराः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘immortals/gods’

• महिषार्दिताः: tormented by the Buffalo(-demon)
• महिषार्दिताः: विशेषण (Adjectival to subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महिष-अर्दित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘महिषेण अर्दिताः’ (instrumental relation); qualifies ‘amarāḥ’

Speakers

• Devi Mahatmyam narrator (within Markandeya Purana’s frame narration)

Primary Deities

• Devī (Mahādevī)
• Devas (collective)
• Mahīṣāsura

Shakti Aspects

• Mahādevī as the collective divine response to Mahīṣāsura

Key Themes

• Shaktism
• Divine intervention
• Relief of the gods
• Mahishasura episode

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

When oppression (adharma) reaches a limit, hope arises through a higher integration of power and wisdom; the devas’ joy signals the restoration of moral confidence when a righteous protector manifests.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This is a devī-carita (divine deed narrative) embedded within the Purāṇa’s larger composition, not a manvantara chronology or genealogical sequence.

What is the esoteric significance?

Mahīṣa symbolizes tamas and brute inertia; the ‘tejo-rāśi’ indicates concentrated consciousness-force (cit-śakti) forming an archetypal power capable of transforming tamasic domination.