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Nandagopa Grihe Jata (The Devi's Prophecy of Her Future Avatars) — Word-by-Word Meaning

नन्दगोपगृहे जाता (देवी की भावी अवतार-भविष्यवाणी)

Every Sanskrit word explained in English

Word-by-Word Breakdown

वैवस्वतेऽन्तरे
vaivasvate'ntare
In the Vaivasvata Manvantara (the present age of Manu)
अष्टाविंशतिमे युगे
aṣṭāviṃśatime yuge
When the twenty-eighth age (yuga) is reached
नन्दगोपगृहे जाता
nandagopagṛhe jātā
Born in the house of the cowherd Nanda
यशोदागर्भसम्भवा
yaśodāgarbhasambhavā
Sprung from the womb of Yashoda
विन्ध्याचलनिवासिनी
vindhyācalanivāsinī
Dwelling on the Vindhya mountain (Vindhyavasini)
तौ नाशयिष्यामि
tau nāśayiṣyāmi
I shall destroy those two (Shumbha and Nishumbha reborn)
अतिरौद्रेण रूपेण
atiraudreṇa rūpeṇa
In a most terrible form
वैप्रचित्तान् दानवान्
vaipracittān dānavān
The danavas descended from Viprachitti
रक्ता दन्ता ... दाडिमीकुसुमोपमाः
raktā dantā ... dāḍimīkusumopamāḥ
My teeth shall become red, like the flowers of the pomegranate
रक्तदन्तिकाम्
raktadantikām
As Raktadantika (the red-toothed Goddess)
शतवार्षिक्याम् अनावृष्ट्याम्
śatavārṣikyām anāvṛṣṭyām
During a hundred-year drought (without rain)
अयोनिजा
ayonijā
Born not from a womb (self-manifest)
शतेन नेत्राणां
śatena netrāṇāṃ
With a hundred eyes (I shall behold the sages)
शताक्षीम्
śatākṣīm
As Shatakshi (the hundred-eyed Goddess)
शाकैः प्राणधारकैः
śākaiḥ prāṇadhārakaiḥ
With life-supporting vegetables (grown from my own body)
शाकम्भरीति
śākambharīti
As Shakambhari (the bearer/nourisher of herbs)
दुर्गमाख्यं महासुरम्
durgamākhyaṃ mahāsuram
The great asura named Durgama (whom she slays as Durga)

Complete Translation

The Devi said: 'When the twenty-eighth age is reached in the Vaivasvata Manvantara, two other great asuras, Shumbha and Nishumbha, shall be born. Then, born in the house of the cowherd Nanda, sprung from the womb of Yashoda, and dwelling on the Vindhya mountain, I shall destroy those two. And again, descending to the earth in a most terrible form, I shall slay the danavas descended from Viprachitti; and as I devour those fierce great asuras my teeth shall become red, like pomegranate flowers. Thereupon the gods in heaven and human beings on earth, praising me, shall ever call me Raktadantika (the red-toothed). And again, when there is no rain on earth for a hundred years — a waterless drought — remembered by the sages I shall be born on the earth, not from a womb. Then I shall behold the sages with a hundred eyes, and people shall hymn me as Shatakshi (the hundred-eyed). Then, O gods, I shall sustain the whole world with life-supporting vegetables grown from my own body until the rains return; I shall then become renowned on earth as Shakambhari, and there itself I shall slay the great asura named Durgama.'

Origin & History

Source: Durga Saptashati Chapter 11

Author: Sage Markandeya (Markandeya Purana)

Period: Ancient (part of the Markandeya Purana, c. 400–600 CE)

After the gods praise the Goddess in the Narayani Stuti and she offers them a boon, they ask that she ever quell the calamities of the three worlds. In reply, the Devi foretells her future descents: as Vindhyavasini born of Yashoda to slay the reborn Shumbha and Nishumbha; as Raktadantika devouring the Viprachitti danavas; and, in a great hundred-year drought, as Shatakshi and Shakambhari, sustaining all life with herbs from her own body while destroying the demon Durgama — promising to incarnate whenever danava-born trouble arises.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which forms of the Devi are foretold in this passage?
Vindhyavasini (born as Yashoda's daughter, who slays the reborn Shumbha and Nishumbha), Raktadantika (the red-toothed, who devours the Viprachitti danavas), Shatakshi (the hundred-eyed), and Shakambhari (who feeds the world with herbs from her body and slays the demon Durgama).
Is Vindhyavasini connected to Krishna?
Yes. The verse 'Nandagopa grihe jata, Yashoda-garbha-sambhava' refers to the Goddess born as the daughter of Yashoda in Nanda's house — the divine maiden who, in the Krishna story, slips from Kamsa's grasp and becomes Vindhyavasini, dwelling on the Vindhya mountain.
Why is the Goddess called Shakambhari?
During a hundred-year drought she nourishes all beings with life-giving vegetables (shaka) born from her own body until the rains return. 'Shakambhari' means 'the bearer/nourisher of herbs.' She is invoked for relief from famine and scarcity.
Where does 'Nandagopa Grihe Jata' occur in the Durga Saptashati?
It is in Chapter 11 (the Narayani Stuti chapter), verses 38 onward, where the Goddess, pleased after the slaying of Shumbha, foretells her future advents before granting the gods their boon.

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