Chapter 3 · Tṛtīyo’dhyāyaḥ (Third Chapter)
Verse 30
ततः सिंहोऽभवत्सद्यो यावत्तस्याम्बिका शिरः। छिनत्ति तावत्पुरुषः खड्गपाणिरदृश्यत ॥ ३० ॥
tataḥ siṁhō’bhavatsadyō yāvattasyāmbikā śiraḥ | chinatti tāvatpuruṣaḥ khaḍgapāṇiradṛśyata || 30 ||
Translation
'Then he immediately became a lion. As Ambika was cutting off its head, at that time, a man with a sword in his hand appeared.'
Word by word
- tataḥ
- then
- siṁhaḥ
- a lion
- abhavat
- he became
- sadyaḥ
- immediately
- yāvat
- as
- tasya
- his
- ambikā
- Ambika
- śiraḥ
- head
- chīnatti
- was cutting
- tāvat
- at that time
- puruṣaḥ
- a man
- khaḍgapāṇiḥ
- with a sword in hand
- adṛśyata
- appeared
Meaning
The battle becomes a contest of mystical shapeshifting. As soon as Mahishasura is bound in one form, he changes into another—a lion. The Goddess adapts instantly, moving to behead the lion. Undeterred, the demon morphs again, this time into a sword-wielding human warrior, emerging right as the blow falls.