Vamana Purana — Slaying of Raktabija, Shloka 57
The Slaying of Raktabīja and Niśumbha–Śumbha; the Manifestation of the Mātṛkās and the Devas’ Hymn
श्रुत्वा सुराः सुररिपु निहतौ मृडान्या सेन्द्राः ससूर्यमरुदश्विवसुप्रधानाः आगत्य तं गिरिवरं विनयावनम्रा देव्यास्तदा स्तुतिपदं त्विदमीरयन्तः // वम्प्_30.55 देवा ऊचुः/ नमो ऽस्तु ते भगवति पापनाशिनि नमो ऽस्तु ते सुररिपुदर्पशातनि नमो ऽस्तु ते हरिहरराज्यदायिनि नमो ऽस्तु ते मखभुजकार्यकारिणि // वम्प्_30.56 नमो ऽस्तु ते त्रिदशरिपुक्षयङ्करि नमो ऽस्तु ते शतमखपादपूजिते नमो ऽस्तु ते महिषविनासकारिणि नमो ऽस्तु ते हरिहरभास्करस्तुते
śrutvā surāḥ suraripu nihatau mṛḍānyā sendrāḥ sasūryamarudaśvivasupradhānāḥ āgatya taṃ girivaraṃ vinayāvanamrā devyāstadā stutipadaṃ tvidamīrayantaḥ // VamP_30.55 devā ūcuḥ/ namo 'stu te bhagavati pāpanāśini namo 'stu te suraripudarpaśātani namo 'stu te harihararājyadāyini namo 'stu te makhabhujakāryakāriṇi // VamP_30.56 namo 'stu te tridaśaripukṣayaṅkari namo 'stu te śatamakhapādapūjite namo 'stu te mahiṣavināsakāriṇi namo 'stu te hariharabhāskarastute
{"scene_description": "A visionary montage: Devī narrates future forms—appearing in Nanda’s home as Yaśodā, slaying asuras (Vipracitti, Lavaṇa, Śumbha, Niśumbha), and later sustaining devas as Śākambharī in Indra’s realm.", "primary_figures": ["Devī (prophetic speaker)", "Yaśodā-form (Devī)", "Nanda", "Vipracitti", "Lavaṇa", "Śumbha", "Niśumbha", "Indra (Śatakratu)", "Śākambharī form of Devī", "Devas"], "setting": "Split-scene or sequential panels: Vraja domestic courtyard; battlefield with asuras; Svarga/Indra’s palace with famine-relief imagery (vegetation/greens).", "color_palette": ["pastel greens", "gold", "crimson", "sky blue", "earthy ochre"], "tanjore_prompt": "Tanjore style triptych: (1) Devī as Yaśodā in Nanda’s house with gold-leaf ornaments, (2) fierce Devī defeating Śumbha-Niśumbha with radiant weapons/teeth motif, (3) Śākambharī bestowing vegetation and sustenance to devas in Indra’s court, rich gold background and temple arch framing", "pahari_prompt": "Pahari miniature in sequential registers: Vraja courtyard with Yaśodā tenderness, then a dynamic battle vignette with asuras, then a serene Svarga scene with Śākambharī surrounded by greens and grateful devas; soft pastels and lyrical composition", "kerala_mural_prompt": "Kerala mural, bold outlined multi-panel narrative: Yaśodā-form in domestic setting, fierce battle with Śumbha-Niśumbha, and Śākambharī distributing nourishment; saturated natural pigments, symmetrical deity depiction", "pattachitra_prompt": "Pattachitra scroll, long narrative band showing Devī’s multiple manifestations with labeled figures, flat colors, ornate borders, folk storytelling clarity; include Vraja house, asura slayings, and Śākambharī with plants/harvest motifs"}
{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
The epithet frames Devī as the enabling śakti behind divine governance: even the highest deities exercise rule effectively through her power. In Purāṇic theology, this is a common way to assert Devī’s supremacy while still honoring Viṣṇu and Śiva as principal cosmic administrators.
‘Makha-bhuja’ points to Indra as the recipient/enjoyer of sacrificial offerings. Calling Devī the accomplisher of his ‘kārya’ indicates she restores the sacrificial order disrupted by asuras—so that yajña, rain, and prosperity can function again.
In these lines it is generic (‘an excellent mountain’) and functions as a sacred stage for the gods’ approach and hymn. Without an explicit toponym, it cannot be securely identified with a particular named tīrtha or mountain in the Vāmana Purāṇa’s geographical catalog.