SB 5.9.18 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

भृशममर्षरोषावेशरभसविलसितभ्रुकुटिविटपकुटिलदंष्ट्रारुणेक्षणाटोपातिभयानकवदना हन्तुकामेवेदं महाट्टहासमतिसंरम्भेण विमुञ्चन्ती तत उत्पत्य पापीयसां दुष्टानां तेनैवासिना विवृक्णशीर्ष्णां गलात्स्रवन्तमसृगासवमत्युष्णं सह गणेन निपीयातिपानमदविह्वलोच्चैस्तरां स्वपार्षदै: सह जगौ ननर्त च विजहार च शिर:कन्दुकलीलया ॥ १८ ॥

Verse text

bhṛśam amarṣa-roṣāveśa-rabhasa-vilasita-bhru-kuṭi-viṭapa-kuṭila-daṁṣṭrāruṇekṣaṇāṭopāti-bhayānaka-vadanā hantu-kāmevedaṁ mahāṭṭa-hāsam ati-saṁrambheṇa vimuṣcantī tata utpatya pāpīyasāṁ duṣṭānāṁ tenaivāsinā vivṛkṇa-śīrṣṇāṁ galāt sravantam asṛg-āsavam atyuṣṇaṁ saha gaṇena nipīyāti-pāna-mada-vihvaloccaistarāṁ sva-pārṣadaiḥ saha jagau nanarta ca vijahāra ca śiraḥ-kanduka-līlayā.

Synonyms

bhṛśam — very highly ; amarṣa — in intolerance of the offenses ; roṣa — in anger ; āveśa — of her absorption ; rabhasa — vilasita — expanded by the force ; bhru — kuṭi — of her eyebrows ; viṭapa — the branches ; kuṭila — curved ; daṁṣṭra — teeth ; aruṇa — īkṣaṇa — of reddish eyes ; āṭopa — by the agitation ; ati — very much ; bhayānaka — fearful ; vadanā — having a face ; hantu — kāmā — desirous to destroy ; iva — as if ; idam — this universe ; mahā — aṭṭa — hāsam — a greatly fearful laugh ; ati — great ; saṁrambheṇa — because of anger ; vimuṣcantī — releasing ; tataḥ — from that altar ; utpatya — coming forth ; pāpīyasām — of all the sinful ; duṣṭānām — great offenders ; tena eva asinā — by that same chopper ; vivṛkṇa — separated ; śīrṣṇām — whose heads ; galāt — from the neck ; sravantam — oozing out ; asṛk — āsavam — the blood, compared to an intoxicating beverage ; ati — uṣṇam — very hot ; saha — with ; gaṇena — her associates ; nipīya — drinking ; ati — pāna — from drinking so much ; mada — by intoxication ; vihvalā — overwhelmed ; uccaiḥ — tarām — very loudly ; sva — pārṣadaiḥ — her own associates ; saha — with ; jagau — sang ; nanarta — danced ; ca — also ; vijahāra — played ; ca — also ; śiraḥ — kanduka — using the heads as balls ; līlayā — by sports .

Translation

Intolerant of the offenses committed, the infuriated Goddess Kālī flashed her eyes and displayed her fierce, curved teeth. Her reddish eyes glowed, and she displayed her fearsome features. She assumed a frightening body, as if she were prepared to destroy the entire creation. Leaping violently from the altar, she immediately decapitated all the rogues and thieves with the very sword with which they had intended to kill Jaḍa Bharata. She then began to drink the hot blood that flowed from the necks of the beheaded rogues and thieves, as if this blood were liquor. Indeed, she drank this intoxicant with her associates, who were witches and female demons. Becoming intoxicated with this blood, they all began to sing very loudly and dance as though prepared to annihilate the entire universe. At the same time, they began to play with the heads of the rogues and thieves, tossing them about as if they were balls.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

She had a fearsome visage burning with red eyes, crooked teeth, and frowning brows, which expanded by the force of her anger and intolerance to the offense to Bharata. In great anger, she released a loud laugh, indicating her desire to destroy the whole universe. Along with her followers she began to drink the warm blood as liquor as it flowed from the necks of the sinful thieves whose heads she severed with the same sword. Overwhelmed by intoxication, she began to sing loudly and dance with her followers and tossed the heads of the thieves around in play. She became angry, unable to tolerate the offense to Bharata (amarsa). She had a face fearful with the energy of her red eyes, crooked teeth, the branches of her frowning eyebrows which expanded by the force of her absorption in anger and intolerance at the offense to Bharata. Hantu-kāmevedaṁ means she desired to destroy the universe (idam) because of the offense to Bharata, one entity residing in that universe.

Purport

It is evident from this verse that the devotees of Goddess Kālī are not at all favored by her. It is Goddess Kālī’s work to kill and punish the demons. Goddess Kālī (Durgā) engages in decapitating many demons, dacoits and other unwanted elements in society. Neglecting Kṛṣṇa consciousness, foolish people try to satisfy the goddess by offering her many abominable things, but ultimately when there is a little discrepancy in this worship, the goddess punishes the worshiper by taking his life. Demoniac people worship Goddess Kālī to obtain some material benefit, but they are not excused of the sins performed in the name of worship. To sacrifice a man or animal before the deity is specifically forbidden.