Fifth Skandha · Chapter 28
Sourceव्यास उवाच कृत्वा हास्यं ततो देवी तमुवाच विशांपते । मेघगम्भीरया वाचा युक्तियुक्तमिदं वचः ॥ १ ॥ पूर्वमेव मया प्रोक्तं मन्दात्मन् किं विकत्थसे । दूतस्याग्रे यथायोग्यं वचनं हितसंयुतम् ॥ २ ॥ सदृशो मम रूपेण बलेन विभवेन च । त्रिलोक्यां यदि कोऽपि स्यात्तं पतिं प्रवृणोम्यहम् ॥ ३ ॥ ब्रूहि शुम्भं निशुम्भञ्च प्रतिज्ञा मे पुरा कृता । तस्माद्युध्यस्व जित्वा मां विवाहं विधिवत्कुरु ॥ ४ ॥ त्वं वै तदाज्ञया प्राप्तस्तस्य कार्यार्थसिद्धये । संग्रामं कुरु पातालं गच्छ वा पतिना सह ॥ ५ ॥ व्यास उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं देव्याः स दैत्योऽमर्षपूरितः । मुमोच तरसा बाणान्सिंहस्योपरि दारुणान् ॥ ६ ॥ अम्बिका ताच्छरान्वीक्ष्य गगने पन्नगोपमान् । चिच्छेद सायकैस्तीक्ष्णैर्लघुहस्ततया क्षणात् ॥ ७ ॥ अन्यैर्जघान विशिखै रक्तबीजं महासुरम् । अम्बिकाचापनिर्मुक्तैः कर्णाकृष्टैः शिलाशितैः ॥ ८ ॥ देवीबाणहतः पापो मूर्च्छामाप रथोपरि । पतिते रक्तबीजे तु हाहाकारो महानभूत् ॥ ९ ॥ सैनिकाश्चुक्रुशुः सर्वे हताः स्म इति चाब्रुवन् । ततो बुम्बारवं श्रुत्वा शुम्भः परमदारुणम् ॥ १० ॥ उद्योगं सर्वसैन्यानां दैत्यानामादिदेश ह । शुम्भ उवाच निर्यान्तु दानवाः सर्वे काम्बोजाः स्वबलैर्वृताः ॥ ११ ॥ अन्येऽप्यतिबलाः शूराः कालकेया विशेषतः । व्यास उवाच इत्याज्ञप्तं बलं सर्वं शुम्भेन च चतुर्विधम् ॥ १२ ॥ निर्जगाम मदाऽऽविष्टं देवीसमरमण्डले । तमागतं समालोक्य चण्डिका दानवं बलम् ॥ १३ ॥ घण्टानादं चकाराशु भीषणं भयदं मुहुः । ज्यास्वनं शङ्खनादञ्च चकार जगदम्बिका ॥ १४ ॥ तेन नादेन सा जाता काली विस्तारितानना । श्रुत्वा तन्निनदं घोरं सिंहो देव्याश्च वाहनम् ॥ १५ ॥ जगर्ज सोऽपि बलवाञ्जनयन्भयमद्भुतम् । तन्निनादमुपश्रुत्य दानवाः क्रोधमूर्च्छिताः ॥ १६ ॥ सर्वे चिक्षिपुरस्त्राणि देवीं प्रति महाबलाः । तस्मिन्नेवायते युद्धे दारुणे लोमहर्षणे ॥ १७ ॥ ब्रह्मादीनाञ्च देवानां शक्तयश्चण्डिकां ययुः । यस्य देवस्य यद्रूपं यथा भूषणवाहनम् ॥ १८ ॥ तादृग्रूपास्तदा देव्यः प्रययुः समराङ्गणे । ब्रह्माणी वरटारूढा साक्षसूत्रकमण्डलुः ॥ १९ ॥ आगता ब्रह्मणः शक्तिर्ब्रह्माणीति प्रतिश्रुता । वैष्णवी गरुडारूढा शङ्खचक्रगदाधरा ॥ २० ॥ पद्महस्ता समायाता पीताम्बरविभूषिता । शाङ्करी तु वृषारूढा त्रिशूलवरधारिणी ॥ २१ ॥ अर्धचन्द्रधरा देवी तथाहिवलया शिवा । कौमारी शिखिसंरूढा शक्तिहस्ता वरानना ॥ २२ ॥ युद्धकामा समायाता कार्तिकेयस्वरूपिणी । इन्द्राणी सुष्ठुवदना सुश्वेतगजवाहना ॥ २३ ॥ वज्रहस्तातिरोषाढ्या संग्रामाभिमुखी ययौ । वाराही शूकराकारा प्रौढप्रेतासना मता ॥ २४ ॥ नारसिंही नृसिंहस्य बिभ्रती सदृशं वपुः । याम्या च महिषारूढा दण्डहस्ता भयप्रदा ॥ २५ ॥ समायाताथ संग्रामे यमरूपा शुचिस्मिता । तथैव वारुणी शक्तिः कौबेरी च मदोत्कटा ॥ २६ ॥ एवंविधास्तथाऽऽकारा ययुः स्वस्वबलैर्वृताः । आगतास्ताः समालोक्य देवी मुदमवाप च ॥ २७ ॥ स्वस्था मुमुदिरे देवा दैत्याश्च भयमाययुः । ताभिः परिवृतस्तत्र शङ्करो लोकशङ्करः ॥ २८ ॥ समागम्य च संग्रामे चण्डिकामित्युवाच ह । हन्यन्तामसुराः शीघ्रं देवानां कार्यसिद्धये ॥ २९ ॥ निशुम्भं चैव शुम्भं च ये चान्ये दानवाः स्थिताः । हत्वा दैत्यबलं सर्वं कृत्वा च निर्भयं जगत् ॥ ३० ॥ स्वानि स्वानि च धिष्ण्यानि समागच्छन्तु शक्तयः । देवा यज्ञभुजः सन्तु ब्राह्मणा यजने रताः ॥ ३१ ॥ प्राणिनः सन्तु सन्तुष्टाः सर्वे स्थावरजङ्गमाः । शमं यान्तु तथोत्पाता ईतयश्च तथा पुनः ॥ ३२ ॥ घनाः काले प्रवर्षन्तु कृषिर्बहुफला तथा । व्यास उवाच एवं ब्रुवति देवेशे शङ्करे लोकशङ्करे ॥ ३३ ॥ चण्डिकाया शरीरात्तु निर्गता शक्तिरद्भुता । भीषणातिप्रचण्डा च शिवाशतनिनादिनी ॥ ३४ ॥ घोररूपाथ पञ्चास्यमित्युवाच स्मितानना । देवदेव व्रजाशु त्वं दैत्यानामधिपं प्रति ॥ ३५ ॥ दूतत्वं कुरु कामारे ब्रूहि शुम्भं स्मराकुलम् । निशुम्भञ्च मदोत्सिक्तं वचनान्मम शङ्कर ॥ ३६ ॥ मुक्त्वा त्रिविष्टपं यात यूयं पातालमाशु वै । देवाः स्वर्गे सुखं यान्तु तुराषाट् स्वासनं शभम् ॥ ३७ ॥ प्राप्नोतु त्रिदिवं स्थानं यज्ञभागांश्च देवताः । जीवितेच्छा च युष्माकं यदि स्यात्तु महत्तरा ॥ ३८ ॥ तर्हि गच्छत पातालं तरसा यत्र दानवाः । अथवा बलमास्थाय युद्धेच्छा मरणाय चेत् ॥ ३९ ॥ तदाऽऽगच्छन्तु तृप्यन्तु मच्छिवाः पिशितेन वः । व्यास उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्याः शूलपाणिस्त्वरान्वितः ॥ ४० ॥ गत्वाऽऽह दैत्यराजानं शुम्भं सदसि संस्थितम् । शिव उवाच राजन् दूतोऽहमम्बायास्त्रिपुरान्तकरो हरः ॥ ४१ ॥ त्वत्सकाशमिहायातो हितं कर्तुं तवाखिलम् । त्यक्त्वा स्वर्गं तथा भूमिं यूयं गच्छत सत्वरम् ॥ ४२ ॥ पातालं यत्र प्रह्लादो बलिश्च बलिनां वरः । अथवा मरणेच्छा चेत्तर्ह्यागच्छत सत्वरम् ॥ ४३ ॥ संग्रामे वो हनिष्यामि सर्वानेवाहमाशु वै । इत्युवाच महाराज्ञी युष्मत्कल्याणहेतवे ॥ ४४ ॥ व्यास उवाच इति दैत्यवरान्देवीवाक्यं पीयूषसन्निभम् । हितकृच्छ्रावयित्वा स प्रत्यायातश्च शूलभृत् ॥ ४५ ॥ ययासौ प्रेरितः शंभुर्दूतत्वे दानवान्प्रति । शिवदूतीति विख्याता जाता त्रिभुवनेऽखिले ॥ ४६ ॥ तेऽपि श्रुत्वा वचो देव्याः शङ्करोक्तं तुदुष्करम् । युद्धाय निर्ययुः शीघ्रं दंशिताः शस्त्रपाणयः ॥ ४७ ॥ तरसा रणमागत्य चण्डिकां प्रति दानवाः । निर्जघ्नुश्च शरैस्तीक्ष्णैः कर्णाकृष्टैः शिलाशितैः ॥ ४८ ॥ कालिका शूलपातैस्तान् गदाशक्तिविदारितान् । कुर्वन्ती व्यचरत्तत्र भक्षयन्ती च दानवान् ॥ ४९ ॥ कमण्डलुजलाक्षेपगतप्राणान् महाबलान् । ब्रह्माणी चाकरोत्तत्र दानवान्समराङ्गणे ॥ ५० ॥ माहेश्वरी वृषारूढा त्रिशूलेनातिरंहसा । जघान दानवान्संख्ये पातयामास भूतले ॥ ५१ ॥ वैष्णवी चक्रपातेन गदापातेन दानवान् । गतप्राणांश्चकाराशु चोत्तमाङ्गविवर्जितान् ॥ ५२ ॥ ऐन्द्री वज्रप्रहारेण पातयामास भूतले । ऐरावतकराघातपीडितान्दैत्यपुङ्गवान् ॥ ५३ ॥ वाराही तुण्डघातेन दंष्ट्राग्रपातनेन च । जघान क्रोधसंयुक्ता शतशो दैत्यदानवान् ॥ ५४ ॥ नारसिंही नखैस्तीव्रैर्दारितान्दैत्यपुङ्गवान् । भक्षयन्ती चचाराजौ ननाद च मुहुर्मुहुः ॥ ५५ ॥ शिवदूती अट्टहासैः पातयामास भूतले । तांश्चखादाथ चामुण्डा कालिका च त्वरान्विता ॥ ५६ ॥ शिखिसंस्था च कौमारी कर्णाकृष्टैः शिलाशितैः । निजघान रणे शत्रून्देवानां च हिताय वै ॥ ५७ ॥ वारुणी पाशसम्बद्धान्दैत्यान्समरमस्तके । पातयामास तत्पृष्ठे मूर्च्छितान्गतचेतनान् ॥ ५८ ॥ एवं मातृगणेनाजावतिवीर्यपराक्रमम् । मर्दितं दानवं सैन्यं पलायनपरं ह्यभूत् ॥ ५९ ॥ बुम्बारवस्तु सुमहानभूत्तत्र बलार्णवे । पुष्पवृष्टिं तदा देवाश्चक्रुर्देव्या गणोपरि ॥ ६० ॥ तच्छ्रुत्वा निनदं घोरं जयशब्दं च दानवाः । रक्तबीजश्चुकोपाशु दृष्ट्वा दैत्यान्पलायितान् ॥ ६१ ॥ गर्जमानांस्तथा देवान्वीक्ष्य दैत्यो महाबलः । रक्तबीजस्तु तेजस्वी रणमभ्याययौ तदा ॥ ६२ ॥ सायुधो रथसंविष्टः कुर्वञ्ज्याशब्दमद्भुतम् । आजगाम तदा देवीं क्रोधरक्तेक्षणोद्यतः ॥ ६३ ॥
vyāsa uvāca kṛtvā hāsyaṃ tato devī tamuvāca viśāṃpate | meghagambhīrayā vācā yuktiyuktamidaṃ vacaḥ || 1 || pūrvameva mayā proktaṃ mandātman kiṃ vikatthase | dūtasyāgre yathāyogyaṃ vacanaṃ hitasaṃyutam || 2 || sadṛśo mama rūpeṇa balena vibhavena ca | trilokyāṃ yadi ko'pi syāttaṃ patiṃ pravṛṇomyaham || 3 || brūhi śumbhaṃ niśumbhañca pratijñā me purā kṛtā | tasmādyudhyasva jitvā māṃ vivāhaṃ vidhivatkuru || 4 || tvaṃ vai tadājñayā prāptastasya kāryārthasiddhaye | saṃgrāmaṃ kuru pātālaṃ gaccha vā patinā saha || 5 || vyāsa uvāca tacchrutvā vacanaṃ devyāḥ sa daityo'marṣapūritaḥ | mumoca tarasā bāṇānsiṃhasyopari dāruṇān || 6 || ambikā tāccharānvīkṣya gagane pannagopamān | ciccheda sāyakaistīkṣṇairlaghuhastatayā kṣaṇāt || 7 || anyairjaghāna viśikhai raktabījaṃ mahāsuram | ambikācāpanirmuktaiḥ karṇākṛṣṭaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ || 8 || devībāṇahataḥ pāpo mūrcchāmāpa rathopari | patite raktabīje tu hāhākāro mahānabhūt || 9 || sainikāścukruśuḥ sarve hatāḥ sma iti cābruvan | tato bumbāravaṃ śrutvā śumbhaḥ paramadāruṇam || 10 || udyogaṃ sarvasainyānāṃ daityānāmādideśa ha | śumbha uvāca niryāntu dānavāḥ sarve kāmbojāḥ svabalairvṛtāḥ || 11 || anye'pyatibalāḥ śūrāḥ kālakeyā viśeṣataḥ | vyāsa uvāca ityājñaptaṃ balaṃ sarvaṃ śumbhena ca caturvidham || 12 || nirjagāma madā''viṣṭaṃ devīsamaramaṇḍale | tamāgataṃ samālokya caṇḍikā dānavaṃ balam || 13 || ghaṇṭānādaṃ cakārāśu bhīṣaṇaṃ bhayadaṃ muhuḥ | jyāsvanaṃ śaṅkhanādañca cakāra jagadambikā || 14 || tena nādena sā jātā kālī vistāritānanā | śrutvā tanninadaṃ ghoraṃ siṃho devyāśca vāhanam || 15 || jagarja so'pi balavāñjanayanbhayamadbhutam | tanninādamupaśrutya dānavāḥ krodhamūrcchitāḥ || 16 || sarve cikṣipurastrāṇi devīṃ prati mahābalāḥ | tasminnevāyate yuddhe dāruṇe lomaharṣaṇe || 17 || brahmādīnāñca devānāṃ śaktayaścaṇḍikāṃ yayuḥ | yasya devasya yadrūpaṃ yathā bhūṣaṇavāhanam || 18 || tādṛgrūpāstadā devyaḥ prayayuḥ samarāṅgaṇe | brahmāṇī varaṭārūḍhā sākṣasūtrakamaṇḍaluḥ || 19 || āgatā brahmaṇaḥ śaktirbrahmāṇīti pratiśrutā | vaiṣṇavī garuḍārūḍhā śaṅkhacakragadādharā || 20 || padmahastā samāyātā pītāmbaravibhūṣitā | śāṅkarī tu vṛṣārūḍhā triśūlavaradhāriṇī || 21 || ardhacandradharā devī tathāhivalayā śivā | kaumārī śikhisaṃrūḍhā śaktihastā varānanā || 22 || yuddhakāmā samāyātā kārtikeyasvarūpiṇī | indrāṇī suṣṭhuvadanā suśvetagajavāhanā || 23 || vajrahastātiroṣāḍhyā saṃgrāmābhimukhī yayau | vārāhī śūkarākārā prauḍhapretāsanā matā || 24 || nārasiṃhī nṛsiṃhasya bibhratī sadṛśaṃ vapuḥ | yāmyā ca mahiṣārūḍhā daṇḍahastā bhayapradā || 25 || samāyātātha saṃgrāme yamarūpā śucismitā | tathaiva vāruṇī śaktiḥ kauberī ca madotkaṭā || 26 || evaṃvidhāstathā''kārā yayuḥ svasvabalairvṛtāḥ | āgatāstāḥ samālokya devī mudamavāpa ca || 27 || svasthā mumudire devā daityāśca bhayamāyayuḥ | tābhiḥ parivṛtastatra śaṅkaro lokaśaṅkaraḥ || 28 || samāgamya ca saṃgrāme caṇḍikāmityuvāca ha | hanyantāmasurāḥ śīghraṃ devānāṃ kāryasiddhaye || 29 || niśumbhaṃ caiva śumbhaṃ ca ye cānye dānavāḥ sthitāḥ | hatvā daityabalaṃ sarvaṃ kṛtvā ca nirbhayaṃ jagat || 30 || svāni svāni ca dhiṣṇyāni samāgacchantu śaktayaḥ | devā yajñabhujaḥ santu brāhmaṇā yajane ratāḥ || 31 || prāṇinaḥ santu santuṣṭāḥ sarve sthāvarajaṅgamāḥ | śamaṃ yāntu tathotpātā ītayaśca tathā punaḥ || 32 || ghanāḥ kāle pravarṣantu kṛṣirbahuphalā tathā | vyāsa uvāca evaṃ bruvati deveśe śaṅkare lokaśaṅkare || 33 || caṇḍikāyā śarīrāttu nirgatā śaktiradbhutā | bhīṣaṇātipracaṇḍā ca śivāśataninādinī || 34 || ghorarūpātha pañcāsyamityuvāca smitānanā | devadeva vrajāśu tvaṃ daityānāmadhipaṃ prati || 35 || dūtatvaṃ kuru kāmāre brūhi śumbhaṃ smarākulam | niśumbhañca madotsiktaṃ vacanānmama śaṅkara || 36 || muktvā triviṣṭapaṃ yāta yūyaṃ pātālamāśu vai | devāḥ svarge sukhaṃ yāntu turāṣāṭ svāsanaṃ śabham || 37 || prāpnotu tridivaṃ sthānaṃ yajñabhāgāṃśca devatāḥ | jīvitecchā ca yuṣmākaṃ yadi syāttu mahattarā || 38 || tarhi gacchata pātālaṃ tarasā yatra dānavāḥ | athavā balamāsthāya yuddhecchā maraṇāya cet || 39 || tadā''gacchantu tṛpyantu macchivāḥ piśitena vaḥ | vyāsa uvāca tacchrutvā vacanaṃ tasyāḥ śūlapāṇistvarānvitaḥ || 40 || gatvā''ha daityarājānaṃ śumbhaṃ sadasi saṃsthitam | śiva uvāca rājan dūto'hamambāyāstripurāntakaro haraḥ || 41 || tvatsakāśamihāyāto hitaṃ kartuṃ tavākhilam | tyaktvā svargaṃ tathā bhūmiṃ yūyaṃ gacchata satvaram || 42 || pātālaṃ yatra prahlādo baliśca balināṃ varaḥ | athavā maraṇecchā cettarhyāgacchata satvaram || 43 || saṃgrāme vo haniṣyāmi sarvānevāhamāśu vai | ityuvāca mahārājñī yuṣmatkalyāṇahetave || 44 || vyāsa uvāca iti daityavarāndevīvākyaṃ pīyūṣasannibham | hitakṛcchrāvayitvā sa pratyāyātaśca śūlabhṛt || 45 || yayāsau preritaḥ śaṃbhurdūtatve dānavānprati | śivadūtīti vikhyātā jātā tribhuvane'khile || 46 || te'pi śrutvā vaco devyāḥ śaṅkaroktaṃ tuduṣkaram | yuddhāya niryayuḥ śīghraṃ daṃśitāḥ śastrapāṇayaḥ || 47 || tarasā raṇamāgatya caṇḍikāṃ prati dānavāḥ | nirjaghnuśca śaraistīkṣṇaiḥ karṇākṛṣṭaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ || 48 || kālikā śūlapātaistān gadāśaktividāritān | kurvantī vyacarattatra bhakṣayantī ca dānavān || 49 || kamaṇḍalujalākṣepagataprāṇān mahābalān | brahmāṇī cākarottatra dānavānsamarāṅgaṇe || 50 || māheśvarī vṛṣārūḍhā triśūlenātiraṃhasā | jaghāna dānavānsaṃkhye pātayāmāsa bhūtale || 51 || vaiṣṇavī cakrapātena gadāpātena dānavān | gataprāṇāṃścakārāśu cottamāṅgavivarjitān || 52 || aindrī vajraprahāreṇa pātayāmāsa bhūtale | airāvatakarāghātapīḍitāndaityapuṅgavān || 53 || vārāhī tuṇḍaghātena daṃṣṭrāgrapātanena ca | jaghāna krodhasaṃyuktā śataśo daityadānavān || 54 || nārasiṃhī nakhaistīvrairdāritāndaityapuṅgavān | bhakṣayantī cacārājau nanāda ca muhurmuhuḥ || 55 || śivadūtī aṭṭahāsaiḥ pātayāmāsa bhūtale | tāṃścakhādātha cāmuṇḍā kālikā ca tvarānvitā || 56 || śikhisaṃsthā ca kaumārī karṇākṛṣṭaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ | nijaghāna raṇe śatrūndevānāṃ ca hitāya vai || 57 || vāruṇī pāśasambaddhāndaityānsamaramastake | pātayāmāsa tatpṛṣṭhe mūrcchitāngatacetanān || 58 || evaṃ mātṛgaṇenājāvativīryaparākramam | marditaṃ dānavaṃ sainyaṃ palāyanaparaṃ hyabhūt || 59 || bumbāravastu sumahānabhūttatra balārṇave | puṣpavṛṣṭiṃ tadā devāścakrurdevyā gaṇopari || 60 || tacchrutvā ninadaṃ ghoraṃ jayaśabdaṃ ca dānavāḥ | raktabījaścukopāśu dṛṣṭvā daityānpalāyitān || 61 || garjamānāṃstathā devānvīkṣya daityo mahābalaḥ | raktabījastu tejasvī raṇamabhyāyayau tadā || 62 || sāyudho rathasaṃviṣṭaḥ kurvañjyāśabdamadbhutam | ājagāma tadā devīṃ krodharaktekṣaṇodyataḥ || 63 ||
English translation
1-5. Vyasa said O King! The Devi, hearing thus, laughed and spoke the following reasonable words, in a voice deep as a rumbling cloud O Dull brained one! Already I told to that messenger before in reply to you; why then do you boast in vain? If there be any such in the three worlds who can stand equal to Me in appearance, strength, and prosperity, I will marry him. Go to S’umbha and Nis’umbha and inform them that thus I promised before; therefore let any of them conquer Me in battle and then marry Me according to the prescribed rules. You have come here to execute the order of S’umbha; so either stand up and fight or fly to Patala with your King.
6-11. Vyasa said O King! Hearing the Devi’s words, the Danava was filled with anger and began to shoot dreadful arrows at once on the Lion. Ambika, then, ready-handed, seeing the multitude of arrows coming in the sky like serpents, cut them off in a moment to pieces by Her sharp arrows. The Devi, then, drawing Her bow, shot arrows sharpened on stone at the great Asura Raktabija. Then that wicked Demon, thus shot at by the arrows, fell unconscious on the chariot. When he lay thus senseless, a great uproar arose amidst his army and the soldiers began to cry aloud saying, “Alas! We all are killed.” Then S’umbha, the king of the Asuras, hearing the sound of Boomba (a danger cry by hands and mouth) ordered all the Danavas to be ready for the battle.
12. Then S’umbha said:-- Let all Kambojas go to the battle with all their forces; let other powerful heroes, especially the Kalakeyas, too, who are very strong heroes, go up for the battle. (Note: Kamboja, name of a people and their country. They inhabited the Hindoo
Koosh mountain which separates the Giljit valley from Baikh and probably extended up to little Tibet and Ladak. The Kalakeyas may be the Afridis.)
13-33. Vyasa said O King! Thus ordered, all the fourfold army of S’umbha, viz., cavalry, infantry, elephants and chariots went out, intoxicated for war, to the battle ground where the Devi existed. The Devi Chandika, seeing the Danava forces coming near, made at once terrible sounds frequently. The Ambika Devi also made the sound with Her bowstring and blew Her conchshell. Kali, then, shouted aloud opening Her mouth widely. The powerful Lion, the Devi’s Vahana, hearing the terrible sounds, roared so loudly that the Danavas were struck with strange terror. The powerful Danavas, then, hearing that sound became impatient with anger and shot arrows after arrows on the Devi. The wonderful horrible battle, then, ensued, causing horripilation and the S’aktis of Brahma and the other Devas began to come to Chandika Devi. The DevTs, the wives of the several Devas, then went, to the battlefield in their respective forms with ornaments and Vahanas as generally on such occasions. The S’akti (wife) of Brahma named Brahmani, mounting on the back of Her Swan came there with a string of beads and Kamandalu (an wooden waterpot used by ascetics). The VaisnavT with Her yellow robes came there mounted on Garuda (the sacred bird of Visnu, the carrier of Him) with conch, discus, club, and lotus in Her hands. The Devi S’ankari, the wife of S’iva, the Auspicious One, arrived on the back of Her Bull. The emblem of half-moon was on Her forehead while in Her hands She held snake, bracelet, and trident (Trisula) and the sign of fearlessness for Her devotees. The beautiful wife of Kartika, Kaumari Devi, looking like Kartika, came to fight there mounted on a peacock. The fairfaced Indrani, decked with ornaments on Her several limbs, came there to fight, with thunder¬ bolt in Her hand, mounted on the elephant Airavata. The Varahi Devi looking like a female boar, came also, seated on an elevated seat of departed souls (Preta). The Narasimhi, resembling Nrisimha (the
Man Lion Incarnation) came there. The wife of Yama, looking fearful like Yama arrived there on the battlefield smiling and with staff in Her hand and mounted on the back of a buffalo. Thus the wives of Kuvera, Varuna, and other Devas came there with proper forms, Vahanas, ornaments, accompanied by their forces and all excited. Seeing them all, the Devi Ambika became glad; the Devas, too, became peaceful and expressed their great joy; the Danavas were afraid at the sight of them. S’ankara, auspicious to all the beings, came there to the battlefield, surrounded by these goddesses and thus said to Chandika Slay quickly all these Asuras, S’umbha, Nis’umbha and all other Danavas to serve the cause of the Devas. Let all the goddesses destroy the Danava race and thus free the world from dangers; they may, then, return to their own abodes. Let the Devas get their shares of sacrifices, let the Brahmanas perform the sacrificial acts, and let all the creatures, moving or not moving, be happy. Let all calamities such as proceed from drought, excessive rain, rats, foreign invasion, locusts and birds, bats, etc., come to an end. Let the clouds bestow rains regularly and let the cultivation yield ample harvests. Note here that rats bring in plague.
34-40. Vyasa said O King! When S’ankara, the Lord of the gods and Auspicious to all, said thus, a wonderful female ensued out of the body of Chandika, very furious, horrible, with hundreds of jackals surrounding and yelling; then that S’akti, of dreadful appearance, said to the five-faced S’iva, smiling O Deva of the Devas! Go quickly to the lord of the Daityas; do the duty of a messenger for us, O Destroyer of lust! O S’ankara! Tell that haughty lustful S’umbha and Nis’umbha leave the Heavens and go to Patala. Let the Devas reign in the Heavens; Indra go to his own beautiful throne; let all the Devas go to their appropriate places in Heaven and receive their sacrificial offerings duly. And if the Demons desire to live, let them go quickly to the city of Patala where other Danavas are dwelling. Else, if they like to die, let them go quickly to the battlefield and let their flesh be eaten up by Her jackals.
41. Vyasa said O King! Hearing Her words, S’ulapani went quickly to S’umbha, the lord of the Danavas, seated in the assennbly, and said thus
42-44. O King! I am Hara, the Destroyer of the Asura Tripura; now I have come to you for your good as a messenger of Ambika Devi. Quit the Heavens and Earth and go quickly to Patala where reside the powerful Bali and Prahlada, or if you like to court Death, come to fight; I will slay you all in a moment. O King! The Great Queen Ambika Devi has sent me with these instructions for your welfare and information.
45-63. Vyasa said Q King! Thus conveying the nectarlike, beneficial words of the Devi to the chief Daityas, S’iva, the Holder of the trident, returned to his own place. The S’akti that sent S’ambhu as a messenger to the Danavas is known in three worlds as S’iva Duti. The Daityas, thus hearing the rigorous words of the Devi, put on their coats of armour and taking their bows and arrows quickly went out to fight. They came with great force to the battlefield, stretched their bows to their ears and shot piercing arrows, sharpened on stone and tipped with iron, at the Chandika Devi. The Kalika Devi, too began to strike some with the trident, some with S’akti weapon, and some with clubs and rent them asunder and devoured them all, and began to roam in the field. Brahmani began to pour water from Her Kamandalu on the powerful Danavas in the battlefield and thus destroyed them. Mahes’vari, mounting on Her Bull gave violent blows by Her trident and thus lay them dead on the ground. Vaisnavi, with the blow of Her club, took away the lives of many Daityas and striking them with Her Discus out off the heads of several others. Indrani hurled Her thunderbolt on the chief Danavas, already struck by the feet of the elephant and lay them dead on the field. Narasimhi tore the strongest Danavas with the sharp nails and.
devouring them, walked to and fro and made dreadful sounds. S’iva Duti began to laugh hoarsely and laid the Danavas flat on the field, when they were at once devoured by Kalika and Chandika. Kaumari, seated on a peacock, by drawing the bowstring to Her ears hurled arrows sharpened on stone on the enemies and killed them to serve the cause of the gods. Varuni tied down the Danavas by Her Pasa weapons in a face to face fighting; thus they lay down senseless on the ground. O King! Thus the Matrikas, the goddesses, crushed the forces. Then the other powerful soldiers fled away terrified. The “Boomba” danger cry rose then loudly; on the other hand, the Devas began to shower flowers on the Devis. Hearing the distressful agonies of the Asuras and the shouts of victory of the Devas, Raktabija, the chief of the Danavas became very angry. Seeing specially the Danavas flying away and the Devas shouting, that powerful Demon came hurriedly to the battlefield with anger. Then with eyes reddened with anger, and with various weapons came before the Devi, Raktabija mounting on a chariot, and making sounds unusual with his bowstring.
Here ends the Twenty-eighth Chapter of the Fifth Book on the description of the fighting of the goddesses in S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam the Maha Puranam, of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 24425, revision 74863 (2016-07-22T00:17:57Z). English is Swami Vijñanananda’s complete 1921–23 public-domain translation, controlled against the archival OCR and its chapter page at https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk05ch28.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.