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Shloka 31

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

तत एवाशु पुरुषं देवी चिच्छेद सायकैः ।

तं खड्गचर्मणा सार्धं ततः सोऽभून्महागजः ॥

tata evāśu puruṣaṃ devī ciccheda sāyakaiḥ /

taṃ khaḍgacarmaṇā sārdhaṃ tataḥ so 'bhūnmahāgajaḥ

اسی وقت دیوی نے تیزی سے اپنے تیروں سے اس مرد کو—اس کی تلوار اور ڈھال سمیت—گرا دیا؛ پھر وہ ایک عظیم ہاتھی بن گیا۔

tataḥthen
tataḥ:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय; temporal adverb
evaindeed/just
eva:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; emphatic particle (निपात)
āśuquickly
āśu:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootāśu (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; adverb
puruṣamthe man/person
puruṣam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootpuruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative); एकवचन
devīthe Goddess
devī:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdevī (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन
cicchedacut (to pieces)/severed
ciccheda:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootchid (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन
sāyakaiḥwith arrows
sāyakaiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootsāyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental); बहुवचन
tamhim/that one
tam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन
khaḍgacarmaṇāwith sword and shield/leather (armor)
khaḍgacarmaṇā:
Sahakāraka (सह/साकं)
TypeNoun
Rootkhaḍga + carman (प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्वन्द्व-समास (itaretara: khaḍgaṃ ca carma ca); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन
sārdhamtogether with
sārdham:
Sahakāraka (सहकारक)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsārdham (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; prepositional adverb meaning ‘together with’
tataḥthen
tataḥ:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय; temporal adverb
saḥhe
saḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन
abhūtbecame
abhūt:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootbhū (धातु)
Formलुङ् (Aorist); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन
mahāgajaḥa great elephant
mahāgajaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootmahā + gaja (प्रातिपदिक)
Formकर्मधारय-समास (महान् गजः); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन
Narrative voice within Devi Mahatmyam
Devī (Ambikā/Caṇḍikā)Mahīṣāsura
Devī as Ambikā/Caṇḍikā (warrior aspect)
ShaktismDivine weaponry (arrows)Shapeshifting demonInevitability of divine justice

FAQs

Skillful response (upāya) defeats brute force and its disguises. Devī’s arrows emphasize precision—dharma acts aptly, not merely violently.

Carita: martial myth functioning as theological instruction on Devī’s supremacy over all forms.

Arrows symbolize focused intention (ekāgratā) that pierces successive masks; the elephant-form evokes heavy inertia (tamas) reasserting itself after a refined ego-form is cut down.