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

Bấy giờ Kālī cười trong cơn phẫn nộ dữ dội—ghê rợn như tiếng gầm của Bhairava—miệng há rộng đáng sợ, răng bừng cháy khiến người nhìn kinh hãi.

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.