Chapter 4 · Caturtho’dhyāyaḥ (Fourth Chapter)
Verse 19
दृष्ट्वैव किं न भवती प्रकरोति भस्म सर्वासुरानरिषु यत्प्रहिणोषि शस्त्रम्। लोकान् प्रयान्तु रिपवोऽपि हि शस्त्रपूता इत्थं मतिर्भवति तेष्वपि तेऽतिसाध्वी ॥ १९ ॥
dṛṣṭvaiva kiṁ na bhavatī prakarōti bhasma sarvāsurānariṣu yatprahiṇōṣi śastram | lōkān prayāntu ripavō’pi hi śastrapūtā itthaṁ matirbhavati tēṣvapi tē’tisādhvī || 19 ||
Translation
For, by your mere glance, what can you not reduce to ashes? Yet you hurl weapons upon the enemies. (Your intention is that) even the enemies, purified by weapons, may attain the heavenly worlds. Thus, your intention towards them is also very virtuous.
Word by word
- dṛṣṭvā
- by seeing
- eva
- alone
- kiṁ
- what
- na
- not
- bhavatī
- you
- prakaroti
- makes
- bhasma
- ashes
- sarvāsurān
- all the demons
- ariṣu
- upon the enemies
- yat
- that
- prahiṇoṣi
- you hurl
- śastram
- weapons
- lokān
- the worlds (of heaven)
- prayāntu
- may they attain
- ripavaḥ
- enemies
- api
- even
- hi
- for
- śastrapūtāḥ
- purified by weapons
- ittham
- thus
- matiḥ
- intention
- bhavati
- is
- teṣu
- towards them
- te
- your
- atisādhvī
- very virtuous
Meaning
The gods acknowledge that the Goddess's power is so absolute that a mere look could annihilate the demons. The fact that she uses weapons is not due to necessity but to her compassion. They interpret this as an act of purification (śastrapūtāḥ); by granting them a noble death in battle, she cleanses their sins and allows them a chance for a better afterlife in heaven. This reveals her profound virtue (atisādhvī) even towards her foes.