Chapter 4 · Caturtho’dhyāyaḥ (Fourth Chapter)
Verse 18
एभिर्हतैर्जगदुपैति सुखं तथैते कुर्वन्तु नाम नरकाय चिराय पापम्। संग्राममृत्युमधिगम्य दिवं प्रयान्तु मत्वेति नूनमहितान् विनिहंसि देवि ॥ १८ ॥
ēbhirhatairjagadupaiti sukhaṁ tathaitē kurvantu nāma narakāya cirāya pāpam | saṁgrāmamṛtyumadhigamya divaṁ prayāntu matvēti nūnamahitān vinihaṁsi dēvi || 18 ||
Translation
By these (demons) being slain, the world attains happiness. And let these (demons) indeed commit sin for a long time for the sake of hell, or let them attain death in battle and go to heaven. Thinking thus, you surely destroy the enemies, O Goddess.
Word by word
- ebhiḥ
- by these
- hataiḥ
- who are slain
- jagat
- the world
- upaiti
- attains
- sukham
- happiness
- tathā
- and
- ete
- these
- kurvantu
- let them do
- nāma
- indeed
- narakāya
- for hell
- cirāya
- for a long time
- pāpam
- sin
- saṁgrāmamṛtyum
- death in battle
- adhigamya
- having attained
- divam
- heaven
- prayāntu
- let them go
- matvā
- having thought
- iti
- thus
- nūnam
- surely
- ahitān
- the enemies
- vinihaṁsi
- you destroy
- devi
- O Goddess
Meaning
The gods marvel at the Goddess's seemingly paradoxical justice. They suggest that her act of slaying demons has multiple, simultaneous righteous outcomes: It brings happiness to the world. It sends the inherently sinful demons to hell (their rightful place). It grants a warrior's death to those demons who fought, which in Vedic tradition can be a path to heaven. They conclude that she destroys enemies (ahitān) with this comprehensive understanding of cosmic justice.