Chapter 4 · Caturtho’dhyāyaḥ (Fourth Chapter)
Verse 14
देवि प्रसीद परमा भवती भवाय सद्यो विनाशयसि कोपवती कुलानि। विज्ञातमेतदधुनैव यदस्तमेत- न्नीतं बलं सुविपुलं महिषासुरस्य ॥ १४ ॥
dēvi prasīda paramā bhavatī bhavāya sadyō vināśayasi kōpavatī kulāni | vijñātamētadadhunaiva yadastamēta- nnītaṁ balaṁ suvipulaṁ mahiṣāsurasya || 14 ||
Translation
O supreme Goddess, be gracious for our welfare. When angry, you immediately destroy entire lineages. This has been known just now, (by seeing) how this very vast army of Mahishasura has been led to destruction.
Word by word
- devi
- O Goddess
- prasīda
- be gracious
- paramā
- the supreme
- bhavatī
- you
- bhavāya
- for the welfare
- sadyaḥ
- immediately
- vināśayasi
- you destroy
- kopavatī
- when angry
- kulāni
- families, lineages
- vijñātam
- it is known
- etat
- this
- adhunaiva
- just now
- yat
- that
- astam
- to destruction
- etan
- this
- nītam
- was led
- balam
- army
- suvipulam
- very vast
- mahiṣāsurasya
- of Mahishasura
Meaning
The gods, now fully aware of her destructive power, plead for her grace (prasīda). They acknowledge a fundamental aspect of her nature: her wrath can annihilate not just individuals but entire clans (kulāni). They use the recent annihilation of Mahishasura's immense army as the immediate proof of this power.