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Bhagavat 3:7:259
asipatte dhana kumbhe, value vetarani ti ya kharassare mahāghose, ete panṇarashiyā
Summary Verse
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amba and ambarīşa, rudra uparudra and syama and sabala
käla and mahākāla ||1|| asipatra, dhanu, kumbha,
väluka and vaitarani kharasvara mahaghosa
these fifteen gods are like son to Yama. ||2||
Bhāṣya
1. Sutra 259
The fifteen kinds of gods-amba etc. belong to the Asuranikaya (Mansion-dwelling gods). These gods are called Paramādhārmika (i.e., very impious gods). (Their work is to torture the infernal beings. Because of their wicked dispositions, they are called Paramādhārmika). The Vrtti explains their names with etymology: 1. Amba-he tosses the infernals aloft and drops them down.
2. Ambariṣa-he cuts the infernals by scissors into pieces and makes them fit for cooking in a pitcher (ambarisa). This is reason why these are called ambarisa. 3. Syama-he tortures the infernals. He has black (fyama) complexion, and hence
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so called.
4. Sabala-he plucks out the intestine, heart etc. of the infernals and is sabala (i.e., variegated) by complexion.
5. Raudra-he pierces the infernals with lance and spear. He is called rudra, because of his cruelty (raudratā).
6. Uparaudra-he tears the limbs and sublimbs of the infernals.
7. Kala-he cooks the infernals in earthenwares like pitchers. He is called kala because he is as dreadful as death.
8. Mahakala-they feed the infernals with bits of oily flesh. They are so called because they have a deep black complexion.
9. Dhanu-he tears the ear etc. by arrows of the shape of crescent moon darted from his bow.
10. Asipatra-by protean power, he aquires the shape of a leaf of the shape of a sword (asipatra).
11. Kumbha-he cooks the infernals in a pot (kumbha).
12. Baluka-he is so called because he cooks the infernals in sand-dust (väludhuli) of the shape of kadamba (Nauclea cadamba) flower.
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