Fifth Skandha · Chapter 30
Sourceव्यास उवाच निशुम्भो निश्चयं कृत्वा मरणाय जयाय वा । सोद्यमः सबलः शूरो रणे देवीमुपाययौ ॥ १ ॥ तमाजगाम शुम्भोऽपि स्वबलेन समावृतः । प्रेक्षकोऽभूद्रणे राजा संग्रामरसपण्डितः ॥ २ ॥ गगने संस्थिता देवास्तदाभ्रपटलावृताः । दिदृक्षवस्तु संग्रामे सेन्द्रा यक्षगणास्तथा ॥ ३ ॥ निशुम्भोऽथ रणे गत्वा धनुरादाय शार्ङ्गकम् । चकार शरवृष्टिं स भीषयञ्जगदम्बिकाम् ॥ ४ ॥ मुञ्चन्तं शरजालानि निशुम्भं चण्डिका रणे । वीक्ष्यादाय धनुः श्रेष्ठं जहास सुस्वरं मुहुः ॥ ५ ॥ उवाच कालिकां देवी पश्य मूर्खत्वमेतयोः । मरणायागतौ कालि मत्समीपमिहाधुना ॥ ६ ॥ दृष्ट्वा दैत्यवधं घोरं रक्तबीजात्ययं तथा । जयाशां कुरुतस्त्वेतौ मोहितौ मम मायया ॥ ७ ॥ आशा बलवती ह्येषा न जहाति नरं क्वचित् । भग्नं हृतबलं नष्टं गतपक्षं विचेतनम् ॥ ८ ॥ आशापाशनिबद्धौ द्वौ युद्धाय समुपागतौ । निहन्तव्यौ मया कालि रणे शुम्भनिशुम्भकौ ॥ ९ ॥ आसन्नमरणावेतौ सम्प्राप्तौ दैवमोहितौ । पश्यतां सर्वदेवानां हनिष्याम्यहमद्य तौ ॥ १० ॥ व्यास उवाच इत्युक्त्वा कालिकां चण्डी कर्णाकृष्टशरोत्करैः । छादयामास तरसा निशुम्भं पुरतः स्थितम् ॥ ११ ॥ दानवोऽपि शरांस्तस्याश्चिच्छेद निशितैः शरैः । तयोः परस्परं युद्धं बभूवातिभयानकम् ॥ १२ ॥ केसरी केशजालानि धुन्वानः सैन्यसागरम् । गाहयामास बलवान्सरसीं वारणो यथा ॥ १३ ॥ नखैर्दन्तप्रहारैस्तु दानवान्पुरतः स्थितान् । चखाद च विशीर्णाङ्गान् गजानिव मदोत्कटान् ॥ १४ ॥ एवं विमथ्यमाने तु सैन्ये केसरिणा तदा । अभ्यधावन्निशुम्भोऽथ विकृष्टवरकार्मुकः ॥ १५ ॥ अन्येऽपि क्रुद्धा दैत्येन्द्रा देवीं हन्तुमुपाययुः । सन्दष्टदन्तरसना रक्तनेत्रा ह्यनेकशः ॥ १६ ॥ तत्राजगाम तरसा शुम्भः सैन्यसमावृतः । निहत्य कालिकां कोपाद्ग्रहीतुं जगदम्बिकाम् ॥ १७ ॥ तत्रागत्य ददर्शाजावम्बिकाञ्च पुरःस्थिताम् । रौद्ररसयुतां कान्तां शृङ्गाररससंयुताम् ॥ १८ ॥ तां वीक्ष्य विपुलापाङ्गीं त्रैलोक्यवरसुन्दरीम् । सुरक्तनयनां रम्यां क्रोधरक्तेक्षणां तथा ॥ १९ ॥ विवाहेच्छां परित्यज्य जयाशां दूरतस्तथा । मरणे निश्चयं कृत्वा तस्थावाहितकार्मुकः ॥ २० ॥ तं तथा दानवं देवी स्मितपूर्वमिदं वचः । बभाषे शृण्वतां तेषां दैत्यानां रणमस्तके ॥ २१ ॥ गच्छध्वं पामरा यूयं पातालं वा जलार्णवम् । जीविताशां स्थिरां कृत्वा त्यक्त्वात्रैवायुधानि च ॥ २२ ॥ अथवा मच्छराघातहतप्राणा रणाजिरे । प्राप्य स्वर्गसुखं सर्वे क्रीडन्तु विगतज्वराः ॥ २३ ॥ कातरत्वं च शूरत्वं न भवत्येव सर्वथा । ददाम्यभयदानं वै यान्तु सर्वे यथासुखम् ॥ २४ ॥ व्यास उवाच इत्याकर्ण्य वचस्तस्या निशुम्भो मदगर्वितः । निशितं खड्गमादाय चर्म चैवाष्टचन्द्रकम् ॥ २५ ॥ धावमानस्तु तरसासिना सिंहं मदोत्कटम् । जघानातिबलान्मूर्ध्नि भ्रामयञ्जगदम्बिकाम् ॥ २६ ॥ ततो देवी स्वगदया वञ्चयित्वासिपातनम् । ताडयामास तं बाहोर्मूले परशुना तदा ॥ २७ ॥ खड्गेन निहतः सोऽपि बाहुमूले महामदः । संस्तभ्य वेदनां भूयो जघान चण्डिकां तदा ॥ २८ ॥ सापि घण्टास्वनं घोरं चकार भयदं नृणाम् । पपौ पुनः पुनः पानं निशुम्भं हन्तुमिच्छती ॥ २९ ॥ एवं परस्परं युद्धं बभूवातिभयप्रदम् । देवानां दानवानाञ्च परस्परजयैषिणाम् ॥ ३० ॥ पलादाः पक्षिणः क्रूराः सारमेयाश्च जम्बुकाः । ननृतुश्चातिसन्तुष्टा गृध्राः कङ्काश्च वायसाः ॥ ३१ ॥ रणभूर्भाति भूयिष्ठपतितासुरवर्ष्मकैः । रुधिरस्रावसंयुक्तैर्गजाश्वदेहसंकुला ॥ ३२ ॥ पतितान्दानवान्दृष्ट्वा निशुम्भोऽतिरुषान्वितः । प्रययौ चण्डिकां तूर्णं गदामादाय दारुणाम् ॥ ३३ ॥ सिंहं जघान गदया मस्तके मदगर्वितः । प्रहृत्य च स्मितं कृत्वा पुनर्देवीमताडयत् ॥ ३४ ॥ सापि तं कुपितातीव निशुम्भं पुरतः स्थितम् । प्रहरन्तं समीक्ष्याथ देवी वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ ३५ ॥ देव्युवाच तिष्ठ मन्दमते तावद्यावत्खड्गमिदं तव । ग्रीवायां प्रेरयाम्यस्माद् गन्तासि यमसादनम् ॥ ३६ ॥ व्यास उवाच इत्युक्त्वा तरसा देवी कृपाणेन समाहिता । चिच्छेद मस्तकं तस्य निशुम्भस्याथ चण्डिका ॥ ३७ ॥ सच्छिन्नमस्तको देव्या कबन्धोऽतीव दारुणः । बभ्राम च गदापाणिस्त्रासयन्देवतागणान् ॥ ३८ ॥ देवी तस्य शितैर्बाणैश्चिच्छेद चरणौ करौ । पपातोर्व्यां ततः पापी गतासुः पर्वतोपमः ॥ ३९ ॥ तस्मिन्निपतिते दैत्ये निशुम्भे भीमविक्रमे । हाहाकारो महानासीत्तत्सैन्ये भयकम्पिते ॥ ४० ॥ त्यक्त्वाऽऽयुधानि सर्वाणि सैनिकाः क्षतजाप्लुताः । जग्मुर्बुम्बारवं सर्वे कुर्वाणा राजमन्दिरम् ॥ ४१ ॥ तानागतान्सुसम्प्रेक्ष्य शुम्भः शत्रुनिषूदनः । पप्रच्छ क्व निशुम्भोऽसौ कथं भग्नाः पलायिताः ॥ ४२ तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं राज्ञस्ते प्रोचुः प्रणता भृशम् । राजंस्ते निहतो भ्राता शेते समरमूर्धनि ॥ ४३ ॥ तया निपातिताः शूरा ये च तेऽप्यनुजानुगाः । वयं त्वां कथितुं सर्वं वृत्तान्तं समुपागताः ॥ ४४ ॥ निशुम्भो निहतस्तत्र तया चण्डिकयाधुना । न हि युद्धस्य कालोऽद्य तव राजन् रणाङ्गणे ॥ ४५ ॥ देवकार्यं समुद्दिश्य कापीयं परमाङ्गना । हन्तुं दैत्यकुलं नूनं प्राप्तेति परिचिन्तय ॥ ४६ ॥ नैषा प्राकृतयोषैव देवी शक्तिरनुत्तमा । अचिन्त्यचरिता क्वापि दुर्ज्ञेया दैवतैरपि ॥ ४७ ॥ नानारूपधरातीव मायामूलविशारदा । विचित्रभूषणा देवी सर्वायुधधरा शुभा ॥ ४८ ॥ गहना गूढचरिता कालरात्रिरिवापरा । अपारपारगा पूर्णा सर्वलक्षणसंयुता ॥ ४९ ॥ अन्तरिक्षस्थिता देवास्तां स्तुवन्त्यकुतोभयाः । देवकार्यञ्च कुर्वाणां श्रीदेवीं परमाद्भुताम् ॥ ५० ॥ पलायनं परो धर्मः सर्वथा देहरक्षणम् । रक्षिते किल देहेस्मिन्कालेऽस्मत्सुखताङ्गते ॥ ५१ ॥ संग्रामे विजयो राजन् भविता ते न संशयः । कालः करोति बलिनं समये निर्बलं क्वचित् ॥ ५२ ॥ तं पुनः सबलं कृत्वा जयायोपदधाति हि । दातारं याचकं कालः करोति समये क्वचित् ॥ ५३ ॥ भिक्षुकं धनदातारं करोति समयान्तरे । विष्णुः कालवशे नूनं ब्रह्मा वा पार्वतीपतिः ॥ ५४ ॥ इन्द्राद्या निर्जराः सर्वे काल एव प्रभुः स्वयम् । तस्मात्कालं प्रतीक्षस्व विपरीतं तवाधुना ॥ ५५ ॥ सम्मुखो देवतानाञ्च दैत्यानां नाशहेतुकः । एकैव च गतिर्नास्ति कालस्य किल भूपते ॥ ५६ ॥ नानारूपधराप्यस्ति ज्ञातव्यं तस्य चेष्टितम् । कदाचित्सम्भवो नॄणां कदाचित्प्रलयस्तथा ॥ ५७ ॥ उत्पत्तिहेतुः कालोऽन्यः क्षयहेतुस्तथापरः । प्रत्यक्षं ते महाराज देवाः सर्वे सवासवाः ॥ ५८ ॥ करदास्ते कृताः पूर्वं कालेन सम्मुखेन च । तेनैव विमुखेनाद्य बलिनोऽबलयासुराः ॥ ५९ ॥ निहता नितरां कालः करोति च शुभाशुभम् । नैवात्र कारणं काली नैव देवाः सनातनाः ॥ ६० ॥ यथा ते रोचते राजंस्तथा कुरु विमृश्य च । कालोऽयं नात्र हेतुस्ते दानवानां तथा पुनः ॥ ६१ ॥ त्वदग्रतो गतः शक्रो भग्नः संख्ये निरायुधः । तथा विष्णुस्तथा रुद्रो वरुणो धनदो यमः ॥ ६२ ॥ तथा त्वमपि राजेन्द्र वीक्ष्य कालवशं जगत् । पातालं गच्छ तरसा जीवन्भद्रमवाप्स्यसि ॥ ६३ ॥ मृते त्वयि महाराज शत्रवस्ते मुदान्विताः । मङ्गलानि प्रगायन्तो विचरिष्यन्ति सर्वतः ॥ ६४ ॥
vyāsa uvāca niśumbho niścayaṃ kṛtvā maraṇāya jayāya vā | sodyamaḥ sabalaḥ śūro raṇe devīmupāyayau || 1 || tamājagāma śumbho'pi svabalena samāvṛtaḥ | prekṣako'bhūdraṇe rājā saṃgrāmarasapaṇḍitaḥ || 2 || gagane saṃsthitā devāstadābhrapaṭalāvṛtāḥ | didṛkṣavastu saṃgrāme sendrā yakṣagaṇāstathā || 3 || niśumbho'tha raṇe gatvā dhanurādāya śārṅgakam | cakāra śaravṛṣṭiṃ sa bhīṣayañjagadambikām || 4 || muñcantaṃ śarajālāni niśumbhaṃ caṇḍikā raṇe | vīkṣyādāya dhanuḥ śreṣṭhaṃ jahāsa susvaraṃ muhuḥ || 5 || uvāca kālikāṃ devī paśya mūrkhatvametayoḥ | maraṇāyāgatau kāli matsamīpamihādhunā || 6 || dṛṣṭvā daityavadhaṃ ghoraṃ raktabījātyayaṃ tathā | jayāśāṃ kurutastvetau mohitau mama māyayā || 7 || āśā balavatī hyeṣā na jahāti naraṃ kvacit | bhagnaṃ hṛtabalaṃ naṣṭaṃ gatapakṣaṃ vicetanam || 8 || āśāpāśanibaddhau dvau yuddhāya samupāgatau | nihantavyau mayā kāli raṇe śumbhaniśumbhakau || 9 || āsannamaraṇāvetau samprāptau daivamohitau | paśyatāṃ sarvadevānāṃ haniṣyāmyahamadya tau || 10 || vyāsa uvāca ityuktvā kālikāṃ caṇḍī karṇākṛṣṭaśarotkaraiḥ | chādayāmāsa tarasā niśumbhaṃ purataḥ sthitam || 11 || dānavo'pi śarāṃstasyāściccheda niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ | tayoḥ parasparaṃ yuddhaṃ babhūvātibhayānakam || 12 || kesarī keśajālāni dhunvānaḥ sainyasāgaram | gāhayāmāsa balavānsarasīṃ vāraṇo yathā || 13 || nakhairdantaprahāraistu dānavānpurataḥ sthitān | cakhāda ca viśīrṇāṅgān gajāniva madotkaṭān || 14 || evaṃ vimathyamāne tu sainye kesariṇā tadā | abhyadhāvanniśumbho'tha vikṛṣṭavarakārmukaḥ || 15 || anye'pi kruddhā daityendrā devīṃ hantumupāyayuḥ | sandaṣṭadantarasanā raktanetrā hyanekaśaḥ || 16 || tatrājagāma tarasā śumbhaḥ sainyasamāvṛtaḥ | nihatya kālikāṃ kopādgrahītuṃ jagadambikām || 17 || tatrāgatya dadarśājāvambikāñca puraḥsthitām | raudrarasayutāṃ kāntāṃ śṛṅgārarasasaṃyutām || 18 || tāṃ vīkṣya vipulāpāṅgīṃ trailokyavarasundarīm | suraktanayanāṃ ramyāṃ krodharaktekṣaṇāṃ tathā || 19 || vivāhecchāṃ parityajya jayāśāṃ dūratastathā | maraṇe niścayaṃ kṛtvā tasthāvāhitakārmukaḥ || 20 || taṃ tathā dānavaṃ devī smitapūrvamidaṃ vacaḥ | babhāṣe śṛṇvatāṃ teṣāṃ daityānāṃ raṇamastake || 21 || gacchadhvaṃ pāmarā yūyaṃ pātālaṃ vā jalārṇavam | jīvitāśāṃ sthirāṃ kṛtvā tyaktvātraivāyudhāni ca || 22 || athavā maccharāghātahataprāṇā raṇājire | prāpya svargasukhaṃ sarve krīḍantu vigatajvarāḥ || 23 || kātaratvaṃ ca śūratvaṃ na bhavatyeva sarvathā | dadāmyabhayadānaṃ vai yāntu sarve yathāsukham || 24 || vyāsa uvāca ityākarṇya vacastasyā niśumbho madagarvitaḥ | niśitaṃ khaḍgamādāya carma caivāṣṭacandrakam || 25 || dhāvamānastu tarasāsinā siṃhaṃ madotkaṭam | jaghānātibalānmūrdhni bhrāmayañjagadambikām || 26 || tato devī svagadayā vañcayitvāsipātanam | tāḍayāmāsa taṃ bāhormūle paraśunā tadā || 27 || khaḍgena nihataḥ so'pi bāhumūle mahāmadaḥ | saṃstabhya vedanāṃ bhūyo jaghāna caṇḍikāṃ tadā || 28 || sāpi ghaṇṭāsvanaṃ ghoraṃ cakāra bhayadaṃ nṛṇām | papau punaḥ punaḥ pānaṃ niśumbhaṃ hantumicchatī || 29 || evaṃ parasparaṃ yuddhaṃ babhūvātibhayapradam | devānāṃ dānavānāñca parasparajayaiṣiṇām || 30 || palādāḥ pakṣiṇaḥ krūrāḥ sārameyāśca jambukāḥ | nanṛtuścātisantuṣṭā gṛdhrāḥ kaṅkāśca vāyasāḥ || 31 || raṇabhūrbhāti bhūyiṣṭhapatitāsuravarṣmakaiḥ | rudhirasrāvasaṃyuktairgajāśvadehasaṃkulā || 32 || patitāndānavāndṛṣṭvā niśumbho'tiruṣānvitaḥ | prayayau caṇḍikāṃ tūrṇaṃ gadāmādāya dāruṇām || 33 || siṃhaṃ jaghāna gadayā mastake madagarvitaḥ | prahṛtya ca smitaṃ kṛtvā punardevīmatāḍayat || 34 || sāpi taṃ kupitātīva niśumbhaṃ purataḥ sthitam | praharantaṃ samīkṣyātha devī vacanamabravīt || 35 || devyuvāca tiṣṭha mandamate tāvadyāvatkhaḍgamidaṃ tava | grīvāyāṃ prerayāmyasmād gantāsi yamasādanam || 36 || vyāsa uvāca ityuktvā tarasā devī kṛpāṇena samāhitā | ciccheda mastakaṃ tasya niśumbhasyātha caṇḍikā || 37 || sacchinnamastako devyā kabandho'tīva dāruṇaḥ | babhrāma ca gadāpāṇistrāsayandevatāgaṇān || 38 || devī tasya śitairbāṇaiściccheda caraṇau karau | papātorvyāṃ tataḥ pāpī gatāsuḥ parvatopamaḥ || 39 || tasminnipatite daitye niśumbhe bhīmavikrame | hāhākāro mahānāsīttatsainye bhayakampite || 40 || tyaktvā''yudhāni sarvāṇi sainikāḥ kṣatajāplutāḥ | jagmurbumbāravaṃ sarve kurvāṇā rājamandiram || 41 || tānāgatānsusamprekṣya śumbhaḥ śatruniṣūdanaḥ | papraccha kva niśumbho'sau kathaṃ bhagnāḥ palāyitāḥ || 42 tacchrutvā vacanaṃ rājñaste procuḥ praṇatā bhṛśam | rājaṃste nihato bhrātā śete samaramūrdhani || 43 || tayā nipātitāḥ śūrā ye ca te'pyanujānugāḥ | vayaṃ tvāṃ kathituṃ sarvaṃ vṛttāntaṃ samupāgatāḥ || 44 || niśumbho nihatastatra tayā caṇḍikayādhunā | na hi yuddhasya kālo'dya tava rājan raṇāṅgaṇe || 45 || devakāryaṃ samuddiśya kāpīyaṃ paramāṅganā | hantuṃ daityakulaṃ nūnaṃ prāpteti paricintaya || 46 || naiṣā prākṛtayoṣaiva devī śaktiranuttamā | acintyacaritā kvāpi durjñeyā daivatairapi || 47 || nānārūpadharātīva māyāmūlaviśāradā | vicitrabhūṣaṇā devī sarvāyudhadharā śubhā || 48 || gahanā gūḍhacaritā kālarātririvāparā | apārapāragā pūrṇā sarvalakṣaṇasaṃyutā || 49 || antarikṣasthitā devāstāṃ stuvantyakutobhayāḥ | devakāryañca kurvāṇāṃ śrīdevīṃ paramādbhutām || 50 || palāyanaṃ paro dharmaḥ sarvathā deharakṣaṇam | rakṣite kila dehesminkāle'smatsukhatāṅgate || 51 || saṃgrāme vijayo rājan bhavitā te na saṃśayaḥ | kālaḥ karoti balinaṃ samaye nirbalaṃ kvacit || 52 || taṃ punaḥ sabalaṃ kṛtvā jayāyopadadhāti hi | dātāraṃ yācakaṃ kālaḥ karoti samaye kvacit || 53 || bhikṣukaṃ dhanadātāraṃ karoti samayāntare | viṣṇuḥ kālavaśe nūnaṃ brahmā vā pārvatīpatiḥ || 54 || indrādyā nirjarāḥ sarve kāla eva prabhuḥ svayam | tasmātkālaṃ pratīkṣasva viparītaṃ tavādhunā || 55 || sammukho devatānāñca daityānāṃ nāśahetukaḥ | ekaiva ca gatirnāsti kālasya kila bhūpate || 56 || nānārūpadharāpyasti jñātavyaṃ tasya ceṣṭitam | kadācitsambhavo nṝṇāṃ kadācitpralayastathā || 57 || utpattihetuḥ kālo'nyaḥ kṣayahetustathāparaḥ | pratyakṣaṃ te mahārāja devāḥ sarve savāsavāḥ || 58 || karadāste kṛtāḥ pūrvaṃ kālena sammukhena ca | tenaiva vimukhenādya balino'balayāsurāḥ || 59 || nihatā nitarāṃ kālaḥ karoti ca śubhāśubham | naivātra kāraṇaṃ kālī naiva devāḥ sanātanāḥ || 60 || yathā te rocate rājaṃstathā kuru vimṛśya ca | kālo'yaṃ nātra hetuste dānavānāṃ tathā punaḥ || 61 || tvadagrato gataḥ śakro bhagnaḥ saṃkhye nirāyudhaḥ | tathā viṣṇustathā rudro varuṇo dhanado yamaḥ || 62 || tathā tvamapi rājendra vīkṣya kālavaśaṃ jagat | pātālaṃ gaccha tarasā jīvanbhadramavāpsyasi || 63 || mṛte tvayi mahārāja śatravaste mudānvitāḥ | maṅgalāni pragāyanto vicariṣyanti sarvataḥ || 64 ||
English translation
1-10. Vyasa said O King! Thus making a firm resolve that there would be either victory or death, the great warrior Nis’umbha went to fight with the Devi, with great excitement and with all his forces. S’umbha, too the Lord of the Daityas, accompanied by his forces, went after Nis’umbha; S’umbha knew full well the rules of warfare; therefore he remained a witness there. Indra and the other Devas and Yaksas, all stationed themselves in the celestial space, eager to see that fight, covered with clouds. Nis’umbha came to the field, and, taking the strong bow made of horns, began to shoot arrows after arrows at the Divine Mother with the object of frightening Her. Seeing Nis’umbha with his excellent bow, shooting arrows, Chandika began to laugh frequently. With a soft slow voice She spoke to Kalika “O Kali! See their foolishness! They have come before me, courting death. They are so much deluded by My Maya, that they yet expect victory when they have already witnessed the death of Raktabija and many Danavas. Hope is so very strong that it never quits a man.
How wonderful is this that some of their armies are destroyed, some are wounded, some are rendered senseless, some made powerless, some have fled; seeing all these, yet, they have come to fight, as it were, fastened by the cord of hope of victory. O Kali! Today I will certainly slay Nis’umbha and S’umbha. Their death is nigh; deluded by the Daivi Maya, they have come to Me. Therefore, in the face of all the Devas, I will kill them today.”
11-24. Vyasa said O King! Thus saying, and suddenly drawing Her bow, Chandi covered Nis’umbha, in front, all over with a multitude of arrows. Nis’umbha, too, cut off those arrows into pieces by his sharp arrows; thus the fight became more and more dreadful between them. At this time, the lion of Bhagavati, came down upon the forces, quivering his manes, like a powerful elephant going down into a lake. By his nails and teeth, he tore asunder the bodies of the
Danavas that fell before him and devoured them, as if they were infatuated elephants. That lion thus crushing down the soldiers, Nis’umbha came forward hurriedly, drawing his excellent bow. Hundreds of other generals of the Danavas came up there to kill the Devi, biting their lips and with their eyes reddened with anger. In the meantime S’umbha killed Kalika and came very hurriedly there with his forces to capture the Divine Mother. Coming to the battlefield S’umbha saw that the Divine Mother was standing before him; though She was looking very beautiful, fit for love sentiment, yet She was filled also with the sentiment of fiery wrath. At that time the large eyes of Bhagavati, the Beautiful in the three worlds, though naturally red, looked more red due to wrath. When S’umbha saw Her lovely features, the desire to marry Her and the hope of victory all vanished away from his mind; and he stood there with bow in his hand, firmly holding in his mind that he would die. Seeing the Danava in that state. She smiled and began to say, so that all the Danavas could hear. O Wretched Fools! If you all want to live, quit all your weapons here, go to the Patala or to the middle of the ocean. Or be slain in the battle by My arrows and go to heavens and enjoy there without any fear all the enjoyments and sports there. Weakness and heroism, both cannot be expected at one and the same time and at the same individual; therefore I am ordering you to dispel your fears. Now go wherever you find your ease and happiness.
25-35. Vyasa said O King! Hearing these words of the Devi, that haughty Nis’umbha ran forward, holding in his hand the sharpened axe and shield adorned with eight Chandras (embossed) and firstly struck with sword violently on the proud lion; then, whirling with great force that sword, hurled it upon the Divine Mother. The Devi, then, thwarted off the blow of the sword by Her club and struck at his arm by Paras’u. The warrior Nis’umbha, thus struck at his arm, patiently bore that hurt and struck at Chandika by his axe. The Devi then made such a terrible noise of bells that all the Daityas were struck with terror. Then She, desiring to kill Nis’umbha, began to drink
nectar frequently. O King! Thus the terrible fight went on between the Devas and Danavas both trying to defeat the other party. Then began to dance in the battlefield, the cruel voracious dogs, jackals, vultures, herons, crows and other birds, very much gladdened. The battlefield was drenched with blood and the dead carcasses of innumerable Danavas, elephants, and horses. Nis’umbha, then, seeing the Danavas dead on the field, became very angry and ran forward with his terrible club before the Devi. That proud Asura struck first at the head of the lion with that club and laughed again and again and struck the Devi with that same club. The Devi, too, got very angry seeing Nis’umbha before Her and striking at Her. She then spoke thus
36. O You Stupid! Wait till I sever your head from your body by this axe. Soon you will be sent unto death with your head severed off your body.
37-64. Vyasa said O King! Thus saying the Chandika Devi instantly cut off the head of Nis’umbha by Her axe with great caution.
The head thus severed from the body by the blow of the Devi, the headless Demon began to roam there with great force with club in his hand. The Devas then got very much frightened; The Devi, then, cut off the hands and feet of that headless Demon with sharpened arrows. That vicious wretch fell down lifeless, on the ground like a mountain. The powerful Daitya Nis’umbha being thus killed, a great uproar arose amidst his panic stricken forces. The soldiers, covered all over their bodies with blood, left all their weapons in the field, began to make Boomba sound (a piteous cry with mouth and hands as sign of danger) and fled away to the King S’umbha. He, the tormentor of the foes, then asked them coming “Where is Nis’umbha now? Why have you fled away from the field?” Thus
hearing the King’s words, they bowed down and said O King!
Your brother Nis’umbha is lying dead on the battlefield. O King! The Devi killed all the Danava warriors that attended your brother; only we are left and have come here to give you the information. O King! Nis’umbha has been killed by the weapons of the Devi. So we think you ought not to go to the battle. Know this as certain that the Lady, the Highest Cause of this Universe has come here to destroy the Danavas, the object being to serve the cause of the Gods. This Lady is not an ordinary woman; She is the Supreme Force; Her doings are inconceivable; what more can be said than the fact that the Devas never can know Her! This Devi can assume various forms; She is the origin of Maya; She is very clever; She is adorned with various ornaments and is holding various weapons in Her hands. Her doings are incomprehensible; She is like a Second Night of Dissolution (at the end of the world); She is Perfect, endowed with all auspicious signs, capable to go beyond the insurmountable. This wonderful Devi is serving the cause of the gods and the Devas from the sky are singing hymns to Her. O King! It is now your paramount duty to fly away and save your life; if you live, you may have the chance for gaining the victory when time will turn out favourable; there is no doubt in this. It is Time that makes a strong man weak; and it is that very Time that makes that weak man strong again and stimulates him for victory. Time makes a generous donor a beggar and it is Time that makes the same beggar again a generous donor. Brahma, Visnu, Mahes’a, Indra and other Devas are all under the sway of this Time; so Time is the Sovereign of all. Therefore, O King! Wait for this Time. Now Time is favourable to the Gods and inimical to you. Therefore Time is destroying now the Daityas. But the course of Time is not the same throughout. O King! The actions of Time are various no doubt. Time creates men and Time destroys them. The time of creation is different from the time of destruction, this is evident to you before your eyes. See! When Time was favourable to you, you subject Indra and all other Devas and made them pay taxes to you; and now Time is unfavourable to you; so an ordinary weak woman is killing the powerful Danavas; Time, therefore, is doing favourable things and also unfavourable things. The host of Devas or
the woman Kali is not the cause thereof. O King! The present Time is not favourable to you and the Daityas; knowing this, do as you like. Seel Indra, Visnu, Varuna, Yama and other prominent Devas all fled before in battle, quitting the weapons. So, knowing this world as subject to the control of Time, you can now fly away and go quickly to the Patala. For if you live, you will get in future all the pleasures; and if you be killed, your enemies will all be very glad and roam everywhere fearlessly, singing propitious songs.
Here ends the Thirtieth Chapter of the Fifth Book on the killing of Nis’umbha in S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam, the Maha Puranam, of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 24427, revision 74865 (2016-07-22T00:22:02Z). 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/bk05ch30.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.