Chapter 4 · Caturtho’dhyāyaḥ (Fourth Chapter)
Verse 12
ईषत्सहासममलं परिपूर्णचन्द्र- बिम्बानुकारि कनकोत्तमकान्तिकान्तम्। अत्यद्भुतं प्रहृतमात्तरुषा तथापि वक्त्रं विलोक्य सहसा महिषासुरेण ॥ १२ ॥
īṣatsahāsamamalaṁ paripūrṇacandra- bimbānukāri kanakōttamakāntikāntam | atyadbhutaṁ prahṛtamāttaruṣā tathāpi vaktraṁ vilōkya sahasā mahiṣāsurēṇa || 12 ||
Translation
(Your) face was slightly smiling, pure, resembling the disc of the full moon, beautiful with the splendour of the finest gold, extremely wonderful. Even though it was struck (by him), and (you were) seized with anger, nevertheless, having suddenly seen that face, Mahishasura...
Word by word
- īṣatsahāsam
- slightly smiling
- amalam
- pure, spotless
- paripūrṇacandrabimbānukāri
- resembling the disc of the full moon
- kanakottamakāntikāntam
- beautiful with the splendour of the finest gold
- atyadbhutam
- extremely wonderful
- prahṛtam
- struck, attacked
- āttaruṣā
- seized with anger
- tathāpi
- even then
- vaktram
- face
- vilokya
- having seen
- sahasā
- suddenly
- mahiṣāsureṇa
- by Mahishasura
Meaning
The gods recall the moment during the battle when the Goddess, though angry, maintained a serene and beautiful countenance. Her face was like the full moon and gold, radiating purity and beauty. The fact that Mahishasura dared to attack this divine visage highlights his arrogance, but the verse also suggests that seeing her face had a profound impact on him, as described in the next verse.