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Fifth Skandha · Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Unit 118 of 318Fifth Skandha · Chapter 31Fifth Skandha · Chapter 311 source entries

Fifth Skandha · Chapter 31

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अथैकत्रिंशोऽध्यायः व्यास उवाच। इति तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा शुम्भो दैत्यपतिस्तदा । उवाच सैनिकानाशु कोपाकुलितलोचनः ॥ १ ॥ शुम्भ उवाच। जाल्मा: किं ब्रूत दुर्वाच्यं कृत्वा जीवितुमुत्सहे । निहत्य सचिवान्भ्रातॄन्निर्लज्जो विचरामि किम् २ ॥ कालः कर्ता शुभानां वाऽशुभानां बलवत्तरः । का चिंता मम दुर्वारे तस्मिन्नीशेऽप्यरूपके ॥ ३ ॥ यद्भवति तद्भवतु यत्करोति करोतु तत् । न मे चिंताऽस्ति कुत्रापि मरणाज्जीवनात्तथा ॥४॥ स कालोऽप्यन्यथा कर्तुं भावितो नेशते क्वचित् । न वर्षति च पर्जन्यः श्रावणे मासि सर्वदा ॥५॥ कदाचिन्मार्गशीर्षे वा पौषे माघेऽथ फाल्गुने । अकाले वर्षतीवाशु तस्मान्मुख्यो न चास्त्ययम् ॥ ६ ॥ कालो निमित्तमात्रं तु दैवं हि बलवत्तरम् । दैवेन निर्मितं सर्वं नान्यथा भवतीत्यदः ॥७॥ दैवमेव परं मन्ये धिक्पोरुषमनर्थकम् । जेता यः सर्वदेवानां निशुम्भोऽप्यनया हतः ॥८॥ रक्तबीजो महाशूरः सोऽपि नाशं गतो यदा । तदाहं कीर्तिमुत्सृज्य जीविताशां करोमि किम् ॥ ९ ॥ प्राप्ते काले स्वयं ब्रह्मा परार्धद्वयसंमिते । निधनं याति तरसा जगत्कर्ता स्वयं प्रभुः ॥ १० ॥ चतुर्युगसहस्रं तु ब्रह्मणो दिवसे किल । पतंति भवनात्पंच नव चेंद्रास्तथा पुनः ॥ ११ ॥ तथैव त्रिगुणे विष्णुर्मरणायोपकल्पते । तथैव द्विगुणे काले शंकरः शांतिमेति च ॥ १२ ॥ का चिंता मरणे मूढा निश्वले दैवनिर्मिते । मही महीधराणां च नाशः सूर्यशशांकयोः ॥ १३ ॥ जातस्य हि ध्रुवं मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च । अध्रुवेऽस्मिञ्छरीरे तु रक्षणीयं यशः स्थिरम् १४ ॥ रथो मे कल्प्यतां शीघ्रं गमिष्यामि रणाजिरे । जयो वा मरणं वापि भवत्वद्यैव दैवतः ॥ १५ ॥ इत्युक्त्वा सैनिकाञ्छुंभो रथमास्थाय सत्वरः । प्रययावंबिका यत्र संस्थिता तु हिमाचले ॥१६॥ सैन्यं प्रचलितं तस्य संगे तत्र चतुर्विधम् । हस्त्यश्वरथपादातिसंयुतं सायुधं बहु ॥ १७ ॥ तत्र गत्वाऽचले शुम्भः संस्थितां जगदम्बिकाम् । त्रैलोक्यमोहिनी कांतामपश्यत्सिंहवाहिनीम् ॥ १८ ॥ सर्वाभरणभूषाढ्यां सर्वलक्षणसंयुताम् । स्तूयमानां सुरैः खस्थैर्गन्धर्वयक्षकिन्नरैः ॥१९॥ पुष्पैश्च पूज्यमानां च मंदारपादपोद्भवैः । कुर्वाणां शंखनिनदं घंटानादं मनोहरम् ॥२०॥ दृष्ट्वा तां मोहमगमच्छुंभः कामविमोहितः । पंचबाणाहतः कामं मनसा समचिंतयत् ॥२१॥ अहो रूपमिदं सम्यगहो चातुर्यमद्भुतम् । सुकुमाराऽतितन्वंगी सद्यः प्रकटयौवना । चित्रमेतदसौ बाला कामभावविवर्जिता ॥२३॥ कामकांतासमा रूपे सर्वलक्षणलक्षिता । अम्बिकेयं किमेतत्तु हंति सर्वान्महाबलान् ॥२४॥ उपायः कोऽत्र कर्तव्यो येन मे वशगा भवेत् । न मंत्रा वा मरालाक्षीसाधने सन्निधौ मम ॥२५॥ सर्वमंत्रमयी ह्येषा मोहिनी मदगर्विता। सुन्दरीयं कथं मे स्याद्वशगा वरवर्णिनी ॥२६॥ पातालगमनं मेऽत्र न युक्तं समरांगणात् । सामदानविभेदैश्च नेयं साध्या महाबला ॥२७॥ किं कर्तव्यं क्व गंतव्यं विषमे समुपस्थिते । मरणं नोत्तमं चात्र स्त्रीकृतं तु यशोऽपहृत् ॥२८॥ मरणं ऋषिभिः प्रोक्तं संगरे मंगलास्पदम् । यत्तत्समानबलयोर्योधयोर्युध्यतोः किल ॥ २९ ॥ प्राप्तेयं दैवरचिता नारी नरशतोत्तमा । नाशायास्मत्कुलस्येह सर्वथाऽतिबलाऽबला ॥३०॥ वृथा किं सामवाक्यानि मया योज्यानि सांप्रतम् । हननायागता ह्येषा किं नु साम्ना प्रसीदति ॥ ३१ ॥ न दानैश्चालितुं योग्या नानाशस्त्रविभूषिता । भेदस्तु विफलः कामं सर्वदेववशानुगा ॥३२॥ तस्मात्तु मरणं श्रेयो न संग्रामे पलायनम् । जयो वा मरणं वाऽद्य भवत्वेव यथाविधि ॥ ३३ ॥ व्यास उवाच। इति संचिंत्यमानः स शुम्भः सत्त्वाश्रितोऽभवत् । युद्धाय सुस्थिरो भूत्वा तामुवाच पुरः स्थिताम् ३४ ॥ देवि युध्यस्व कान्तेऽद्य वृथाऽयं ते परिश्रमः । मूर्खाऽसि किल नारीणां नायं धर्मः कदाचन ३५ ॥ नारीणां लोचने बाणा भ्रुवावेव शरासनम् । हावभावास्तु शस्त्राणि पुमाँल्लक्ष्यं विचक्षणः ॥ ३६ ॥ सन्नाहश्चांगरागोऽत्र रथश्चापि मनोरथः । मन्दप्रजल्पितं भेरीशब्दो नान्यः कदाचन ॥३७॥ अन्यास्त्रधारणं स्त्रीणां स्त्रीणां विडंबनमसंशयम् । लज्जैव भूषणं कांते न च धार्ष्ट्यं कदाचन ॥३८॥ युध्यमाना वरा नारी कर्कशेवाभिदृश्यते । स्तनौ संगोपनीयौ वा धनुषः कर्षणे कथम् ॥३९॥ क्व मन्दगमनं कुत्र गदामादाय धावनम् । बुद्धिदा कालिका तेऽत्र चामुंडा परनायिका ॥ ४० ॥ चंडिकामन्त्रमध्यस्था लालनेऽसुस्वरा शिवा । वाहनं मृगराडास्ते सर्वसत्त्वभयंकरः ॥ ४१॥ वीणानादं परित्यज्य घंटानादं करोषि यत् । रूपयौवनयोः सर्वं विरोधि वरवर्णिनि ॥ ४२॥ यदि ते संगरेच्छाऽस्ति कुरूपा भव भामिनि । लम्बोष्ठी कुनखी क्रूरा ध्वांक्षवर्णा विलोचना ॥ ४३ ॥ लम्बपादा कुदन्ती च मार्जारनयनाकृतिः । ईदृशं रूपमास्थाय तिष्ठ युद्धे स्थिरा भव ॥ ४४॥ कर्कशं वचनं ब्रूहि ततो युद्धं करोम्यहम् । ईदृशीं सुदतीं दृष्ट्वा न मे पाणिः प्रसीदति ॥ ४५ ॥ हन्तुं त्वां मृगशावाक्षि कामकांतोपमे मृधे । व्यास उवाच। इति ब्रुवाणं कामार्तं वीक्ष्य तं जगदम्बिका ॥४६॥ स्मितपूर्वमिदं वाक्यमुवाच भरतोत्तम । देव्युवाच। किं विषीदसि मन्दात्मन्कामबाणविमोहितः ॥ ४७॥ प्रेक्षिकाऽहं स्थिता मूढ कुरु कालिकया मृधम् । चामुण्डया वा कुर्वेते तव योग्ये रणांगणे ॥ ४८ ॥ प्रहरस्व यथाकामं नाहं त्वां योद्धुमुत्सहे । इत्युक्त्वा कालिकां प्राह देवी मधुरया गिरा ॥ ४९ ॥ जह्येनं कालिके क्रूरे कुरूपप्रियमाहवे । व्यास उवाच। इत्युक्ता कालिका कालप्रेरिता कालरूपिणी ॥५०॥ गदां प्रगृह्य तरसा तस्थावाजौ कृतोद्यमा । तयोः परस्परं युद्धं बभूवातिभयानकम् ॥५१॥ पश्यतां सर्वदेवानां मुनीनां च महात्मनाम् । गदामुद्यम्य शुंभोऽथ जघान कालिकां रणे ॥ ५२ ॥ कालिका दैत्यराजानं गदया न्यहनद्भृशम्। बभंजास्य रथं चंडी गदया कनकोज्ज्वलम् ॥ ५३ ॥ खरान्हत्वा जघानाशु दारुकं दारुणस्वना। स पदातिर्गदां गुर्वी समादाय क्रुधान्वितः ॥ ५४ ॥ कालिकाभुजयोर्मध्ये प्रहसन्नहनत्तदा । वंचयित्वा गदाघातं खड्गमादाय सत्वरा ॥५५॥ चिच्छेदास्य भुजं सव्यं सायुधं चंदनार्चितम् । स छिन्नबाहुविरथो गदापाणि: परिप्लुतः ॥ ५६॥ अचिरेण समागत्य कालिकामहनत्तदा । काली च करवालेन भुजं तस्याथ दक्षिणम् ॥५७ ॥ चिच्छेद प्रहसंती सा सगदं किल सांगदम् । कर्तुं पादप्रहारं स कुपितः प्रययौ जवात् ॥ ५८ ॥ काली चिच्छेद चरणौ खड्गेनास्य त्वरान्विता । सच्छिन्नकरपादोऽपि तिष्ठ तिष्ठेति च ब्रुवन् ॥ ५९ ॥ धावमानो ययावाशु कालिकां भीषयन्निव । तमागच्छंतमालोक्य कालिका कमलोपमम् ॥ ६०॥ चकर्त मस्तकं कंठाद्रुधिरौघवहं भृशम् । छिन्नेऽसौ मस्तके भूमौ पपात गिरिसन्निभः ॥ ६१ ॥ प्राणा विनिर्ययुस्तस्य देहादुत्क्रम्य सत्वरम् । गतासुं पतितं दैत्यं दृष्ट्वा देवाः सवासवाः ॥६२॥ तुष्टुवुस्तां तदा देवीं चामुंडां कालिकां तथा । ववुर्वाता: शिवास्तत्र दिशश्च विमला भृशम् ॥ ६३॥ बभूवुश्चाग्नयो होमे प्रदक्षिणशिखाः शुभाः । हतशेषाश्च ये दैत्याः प्रणम्य जगदंबिकाम् ॥६४ ॥ त्यक्त्वाऽऽयुधानि ते सर्वे पातालं प्रययुर्नृप । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं देव्याश्चरितमुत्तमम् ॥६५ ॥ शुम्भादीनां वधं चैव सुराणां रक्षणं तथा । एतदाख्यानकं सर्वं पठन्ति भुवि मानवाः ॥ ६६॥ शृण्वन्ति च सदा भक्त्या ते कृतार्था भवंति हि । अपुत्रो लभते पुत्रान्निर्धनश्च धनं बहु ॥ ६७ ॥ रोगी च मुच्यते रोगात्सर्वान्कामानवाप्नुयात् । शत्रुतो न भयं तस्य य इदं चरितं शुभम् ॥ शृणोति पठते नित्यं मुक्तिमाञ्जायते नरः ॥ ६८ ॥ इति श्रीदेवीभागवते महापुराणे पञ्चमस्कन्धे शुम्भवधो नाम एकत्रिंशोऽध्यायः ॥ ३१॥ .

athaikatriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ vyāsa uvāca| iti teṣāṃ vacaḥ śrutvā śumbho daityapatistadā | uvāca sainikānāśu kopākulitalocanaḥ || 1 || śumbha uvāca| jālmā: kiṃ brūta durvācyaṃ kṛtvā jīvitumutsahe | nihatya sacivānbhrātṝnnirlajjo vicarāmi kim 2 || kālaḥ kartā śubhānāṃ vā'śubhānāṃ balavattaraḥ | kā ciṃtā mama durvāre tasminnīśe'pyarūpake || 3 || yadbhavati tadbhavatu yatkaroti karotu tat | na me ciṃtā'sti kutrāpi maraṇājjīvanāttathā ||4|| sa kālo'pyanyathā kartuṃ bhāvito neśate kvacit | na varṣati ca parjanyaḥ śrāvaṇe māsi sarvadā ||5|| kadācinmārgaśīrṣe vā pauṣe māghe'tha phālgune | akāle varṣatīvāśu tasmānmukhyo na cāstyayam || 6 || kālo nimittamātraṃ tu daivaṃ hi balavattaram | daivena nirmitaṃ sarvaṃ nānyathā bhavatītyadaḥ ||7|| daivameva paraṃ manye dhikporuṣamanarthakam | jetā yaḥ sarvadevānāṃ niśumbho'pyanayā hataḥ ||8|| raktabījo mahāśūraḥ so'pi nāśaṃ gato yadā | tadāhaṃ kīrtimutsṛjya jīvitāśāṃ karomi kim || 9 || prāpte kāle svayaṃ brahmā parārdhadvayasaṃmite | nidhanaṃ yāti tarasā jagatkartā svayaṃ prabhuḥ || 10 || caturyugasahasraṃ tu brahmaṇo divase kila | pataṃti bhavanātpaṃca nava ceṃdrāstathā punaḥ || 11 || tathaiva triguṇe viṣṇurmaraṇāyopakalpate | tathaiva dviguṇe kāle śaṃkaraḥ śāṃtimeti ca || 12 || kā ciṃtā maraṇe mūḍhā niśvale daivanirmite | mahī mahīdharāṇāṃ ca nāśaḥ sūryaśaśāṃkayoḥ || 13 || jātasya hi dhruvaṃ mṛtyurdhruvaṃ janma mṛtasya ca | adhruve'smiñcharīre tu rakṣaṇīyaṃ yaśaḥ sthiram 14 || ratho me kalpyatāṃ śīghraṃ gamiṣyāmi raṇājire | jayo vā maraṇaṃ vāpi bhavatvadyaiva daivataḥ || 15 || ityuktvā sainikāñchuṃbho rathamāsthāya satvaraḥ | prayayāvaṃbikā yatra saṃsthitā tu himācale ||16|| sainyaṃ pracalitaṃ tasya saṃge tatra caturvidham | hastyaśvarathapādātisaṃyutaṃ sāyudhaṃ bahu || 17 || tatra gatvā'cale śumbhaḥ saṃsthitāṃ jagadambikām | trailokyamohinī kāṃtāmapaśyatsiṃhavāhinīm || 18 || sarvābharaṇabhūṣāḍhyāṃ sarvalakṣaṇasaṃyutām | stūyamānāṃ suraiḥ khasthairgandharvayakṣakinnaraiḥ ||19|| puṣpaiśca pūjyamānāṃ ca maṃdārapādapodbhavaiḥ | kurvāṇāṃ śaṃkhaninadaṃ ghaṃṭānādaṃ manoharam ||20|| dṛṣṭvā tāṃ mohamagamacchuṃbhaḥ kāmavimohitaḥ | paṃcabāṇāhataḥ kāmaṃ manasā samaciṃtayat ||21|| aho rūpamidaṃ samyagaho cāturyamadbhutam | sukumārā'titanvaṃgī sadyaḥ prakaṭayauvanā | citrametadasau bālā kāmabhāvavivarjitā ||23|| kāmakāṃtāsamā rūpe sarvalakṣaṇalakṣitā | ambikeyaṃ kimetattu haṃti sarvānmahābalān ||24|| upāyaḥ ko'tra kartavyo yena me vaśagā bhavet | na maṃtrā vā marālākṣīsādhane sannidhau mama ||25|| sarvamaṃtramayī hyeṣā mohinī madagarvitā| sundarīyaṃ kathaṃ me syādvaśagā varavarṇinī ||26|| pātālagamanaṃ me'tra na yuktaṃ samarāṃgaṇāt | sāmadānavibhedaiśca neyaṃ sādhyā mahābalā ||27|| kiṃ kartavyaṃ kva gaṃtavyaṃ viṣame samupasthite | maraṇaṃ nottamaṃ cātra strīkṛtaṃ tu yaśo'pahṛt ||28|| maraṇaṃ ṛṣibhiḥ proktaṃ saṃgare maṃgalāspadam | yattatsamānabalayoryodhayoryudhyatoḥ kila || 29 || prāpteyaṃ daivaracitā nārī naraśatottamā | nāśāyāsmatkulasyeha sarvathā'tibalā'balā ||30|| vṛthā kiṃ sāmavākyāni mayā yojyāni sāṃpratam | hananāyāgatā hyeṣā kiṃ nu sāmnā prasīdati || 31 || na dānaiścālituṃ yogyā nānāśastravibhūṣitā | bhedastu viphalaḥ kāmaṃ sarvadevavaśānugā ||32|| tasmāttu maraṇaṃ śreyo na saṃgrāme palāyanam | jayo vā maraṇaṃ vā'dya bhavatveva yathāvidhi || 33 || vyāsa uvāca| iti saṃciṃtyamānaḥ sa śumbhaḥ sattvāśrito'bhavat | yuddhāya susthiro bhūtvā tāmuvāca puraḥ sthitām 34 || devi yudhyasva kānte'dya vṛthā'yaṃ te pariśramaḥ | mūrkhā'si kila nārīṇāṃ nāyaṃ dharmaḥ kadācana 35 || nārīṇāṃ locane bāṇā bhruvāveva śarāsanam | hāvabhāvāstu śastrāṇi pumā~llakṣyaṃ vicakṣaṇaḥ || 36 || sannāhaścāṃgarāgo'tra rathaścāpi manorathaḥ | mandaprajalpitaṃ bherīśabdo nānyaḥ kadācana ||37|| anyāstradhāraṇaṃ strīṇāṃ strīṇāṃ viḍaṃbanamasaṃśayam | lajjaiva bhūṣaṇaṃ kāṃte na ca dhārṣṭyaṃ kadācana ||38|| yudhyamānā varā nārī karkaśevābhidṛśyate | stanau saṃgopanīyau vā dhanuṣaḥ karṣaṇe katham ||39|| kva mandagamanaṃ kutra gadāmādāya dhāvanam | buddhidā kālikā te'tra cāmuṃḍā paranāyikā || 40 || caṃḍikāmantramadhyasthā lālane'susvarā śivā | vāhanaṃ mṛgarāḍāste sarvasattvabhayaṃkaraḥ || 41|| vīṇānādaṃ parityajya ghaṃṭānādaṃ karoṣi yat | rūpayauvanayoḥ sarvaṃ virodhi varavarṇini || 42|| yadi te saṃgarecchā'sti kurūpā bhava bhāmini | lamboṣṭhī kunakhī krūrā dhvāṃkṣavarṇā vilocanā || 43 || lambapādā kudantī ca mārjāranayanākṛtiḥ | īdṛśaṃ rūpamāsthāya tiṣṭha yuddhe sthirā bhava || 44|| karkaśaṃ vacanaṃ brūhi tato yuddhaṃ karomyaham | īdṛśīṃ sudatīṃ dṛṣṭvā na me pāṇiḥ prasīdati || 45 || hantuṃ tvāṃ mṛgaśāvākṣi kāmakāṃtopame mṛdhe | vyāsa uvāca| iti bruvāṇaṃ kāmārtaṃ vīkṣya taṃ jagadambikā ||46|| smitapūrvamidaṃ vākyamuvāca bharatottama | devyuvāca| kiṃ viṣīdasi mandātmankāmabāṇavimohitaḥ || 47|| prekṣikā'haṃ sthitā mūḍha kuru kālikayā mṛdham | cāmuṇḍayā vā kurvete tava yogye raṇāṃgaṇe || 48 || praharasva yathākāmaṃ nāhaṃ tvāṃ yoddhumutsahe | ityuktvā kālikāṃ prāha devī madhurayā girā || 49 || jahyenaṃ kālike krūre kurūpapriyamāhave | vyāsa uvāca| ityuktā kālikā kālapreritā kālarūpiṇī ||50|| gadāṃ pragṛhya tarasā tasthāvājau kṛtodyamā | tayoḥ parasparaṃ yuddhaṃ babhūvātibhayānakam ||51|| paśyatāṃ sarvadevānāṃ munīnāṃ ca mahātmanām | gadāmudyamya śuṃbho'tha jaghāna kālikāṃ raṇe || 52 || kālikā daityarājānaṃ gadayā nyahanadbhṛśam| babhaṃjāsya rathaṃ caṃḍī gadayā kanakojjvalam || 53 || kharānhatvā jaghānāśu dārukaṃ dāruṇasvanā| sa padātirgadāṃ gurvī samādāya krudhānvitaḥ || 54 || kālikābhujayormadhye prahasannahanattadā | vaṃcayitvā gadāghātaṃ khaḍgamādāya satvarā ||55|| cicchedāsya bhujaṃ savyaṃ sāyudhaṃ caṃdanārcitam | sa chinnabāhuviratho gadāpāṇi: pariplutaḥ || 56|| acireṇa samāgatya kālikāmahanattadā | kālī ca karavālena bhujaṃ tasyātha dakṣiṇam ||57 || ciccheda prahasaṃtī sā sagadaṃ kila sāṃgadam | kartuṃ pādaprahāraṃ sa kupitaḥ prayayau javāt || 58 || kālī ciccheda caraṇau khaḍgenāsya tvarānvitā | sacchinnakarapādo'pi tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti ca bruvan || 59 || dhāvamāno yayāvāśu kālikāṃ bhīṣayanniva | tamāgacchaṃtamālokya kālikā kamalopamam || 60|| cakarta mastakaṃ kaṃṭhādrudhiraughavahaṃ bhṛśam | chinne'sau mastake bhūmau papāta girisannibhaḥ || 61 || prāṇā viniryayustasya dehādutkramya satvaram | gatāsuṃ patitaṃ daityaṃ dṛṣṭvā devāḥ savāsavāḥ ||62|| tuṣṭuvustāṃ tadā devīṃ cāmuṃḍāṃ kālikāṃ tathā | vavurvātā: śivāstatra diśaśca vimalā bhṛśam || 63|| babhūvuścāgnayo home pradakṣiṇaśikhāḥ śubhāḥ | hataśeṣāśca ye daityāḥ praṇamya jagadaṃbikām ||64 || tyaktvā''yudhāni te sarve pātālaṃ prayayurnṛpa | etatte sarvamākhyātaṃ devyāścaritamuttamam ||65 || śumbhādīnāṃ vadhaṃ caiva surāṇāṃ rakṣaṇaṃ tathā | etadākhyānakaṃ sarvaṃ paṭhanti bhuvi mānavāḥ || 66|| śṛṇvanti ca sadā bhaktyā te kṛtārthā bhavaṃti hi | aputro labhate putrānnirdhanaśca dhanaṃ bahu || 67 || rogī ca mucyate rogātsarvānkāmānavāpnuyāt | śatruto na bhayaṃ tasya ya idaṃ caritaṃ śubham || śṛṇoti paṭhate nityaṃ muktimāñjāyate naraḥ || 68 || iti śrīdevībhāgavate mahāpurāṇe pañcamaskandhe śumbhavadho nāma ekatriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ || 31|| .

English translation

1. Vyasa said O King! S’umbha, the Lord of the Daityas, hearing the words of the soldiers, began to say, then, with eyes rolling with anger.

2-15. S’umbha said “O Fools! What are you saying all this? How can I do this unspeakably mean act and then hope to live? How shall I be able to roam in this world when I have become the cause the slaying of my brothers and ministers? Time is the more powerful cause of all that takes place, good or bad; so when this formless Time is the Supreme Ruler, what use is there in my brooding over the result? Let whatever come that is inevitable, let whatever be done that is destined to take place; death or life, I do not think of either. The more so when Time is never able, even when worshipped, to thwart off death or life when their proper moment arrives. See! The God of rain gives us rain in the rainy season; but, it is seen that sometimes it does not rain in the month of S’ravan (the rainy season); whereas it rains sometimes in the month Agrahayana, Pausa, Magha, or Phalguna (not the rainy season). Therefore it is evident that Time is not the chief factor. Fate is stronger than Time; Time is merely the instrumental cause. It is this Fate that has created all this universe; it cannot be rendered otherwise. I consider Fate Supreme; Fie on this one’s own exertion! For, Lo! Nis’umbha, who had before conquered all the Devas, is slain today by an ordinary woman! Alas!

When Raktabija, too, had been slain, how can I desire to hold on to my life, foregoing all my name and fame! Even Brahma, who has created all this universe, will not sooner come to an end than his longevity expires. Four thousand Yugas constitute one day of Brahma; and in that one day fourteen Indras perished; so twice the

life of Brahma constitute the life of Visnu; similarly twice the life period of Visnu constitute the life period of Mahes’a; and when their longevities expire, they come to an end. This visible earth, mountains, sun and moon all will perish; so it has been specially ordained by the Destiny; therefore, O Fools! I do not care a bit for the death. When a being is born, he must die; and when anyone dies, he will be born again, there is no doubt in this. So one ought to preserve one’s name and fame which is more permanent in this transitory body. Prepare my chariot; I will go today to the battlefield; let victory or defeat come what it may, as Fate has ordained. I will soon go to fight.”

16-33. Thus saying, S’umbha mounted on the chariot quickly and went where the Devi Ambika was staying. Then the four-fold army, cavalry, infantry, chariots, horses and elephants and innumerable soldiers, followed him with weapons in their hands. Going there to the Himalaya mountain, he saw the Divine Mother sitting on Her Lion. She appeared so very lovely as to enchant the three worlds. Her body was decorated with various ornaments, all the auspicious gems were manifest; the Devas, Gandarbhas, Yaksas and Kinnaras in the heavens were all worshipping Her with hymns and Parijata flowers; and the Devi was making beautiful sounds with bells and conches, indicative of Her victory. Seeing Her S’umbha was very much enchanted with passionate love and struck with, the five arrows of cupid, thought thus How wonderful is Her lovely countenance! See! How wonderful and amazing is Her skilfulness! Delicacy and capability to endure the hardships of war, though quite contrary to each other, are both in Her. What a wonder is this! Her bodies are extremely delicate and limbs are lean and thin; besides She is lately blooming into womanhood; still She does not feel any passion; this is undoubtedly very wonderful! She is exquisitely beautiful that can be desired of in one’s mind; and though She is endowed with all the auspicious signs, yet She has no inclinations for all the pleasures and allurements of the world and is now slaying

the powerful Asuras; this is wonderful indeed! Now what steps are to be taken so that this Lady comes under my control? All the Mantrams also are not with me now to bring over this Swan-eyed Lady unto me. This proud lovely Lady is the incarnate of all Mantrams; how will She come under my control? This heroic Lady cannot be controlled by conciliatory words, allurements, dissensions; it is not advisable, too, to fly away from the battlefield and to go to Patala. What am I to do? Where shall I go in this critical moment? And if I die at the hands of this Lady, that death is not a glorious one; it will take away my fame. The death in a battlefield is conducive to one’s well being, so the sages say, when both the parties are equally strong. The Devas have created this Lady stronger than even hundred strong men; She is a woman merely in name. This Lady is very powerful and has come here to destroy the Danavas; there is no doubt in this. What effect will conciliatory words now produce on Her; She has come to slay us; Will She be appeased with good words? Neither will allurements of precious things be of any avail, for She is decked with various arms and weapons; nor will it be of any use to sow dissensions between the Devas and Her. Further all the Devas are under Her control. Therefore it is far better to die than to fly; victory or death would come unto me today as Fate has ordained.

34-46. Vyasa said O King! Thus thinking in his mind, S’umbha became ready to shew his strength; and firmly resolved to fight, he said to the Devi before him Devi! Fight. But, O One of delicate limbs! Thy so much toil is in vain. Thou hast no sense at all; for Thou art doing contrary to the doings of woman-kind. The pair of eyes of women are their arrows; the eyebrows are their bows; their gestures and postures are their weapons and their hits are those persons who are skilled in amorous love sentiments. The dyes used in painting the bodies are their armours, their mental desires are their chariots, so sweet soft words and conversations are their trumpet sounds; women have no other things for their war preparations. Therefore, O

Beloved! Any other weapons are mere mockeries and ridiculous; their modesty is their ornament; impudence can never grace them. An exquisitely beautiful woman, if engaged in a fight will look harsh; especially when Thou wilt draw Thy bow, how wilt Thou be able to hide Thy breasts? When Thou wilt run with Thy club, where will Thy gentle treadings go? O Beautiful! Thy councillors are this Kalika and the stupid Chamunda. Chandika is Thy adviser; her voice is very hoarse; how can then she be able to nurse Thee? Again this Lion, the terror of all the beings, is Thy carrier. Therefore, O Dear! Leave aside all these and come over unto me. O Beautiful One! That Thou art ringing Thy bells and dost not sound. Thy lute goes quite against Thy beauty and youth. O Sensitive One! If Thou likest to fight, better assume an ugly appearance, let Thy nature be ferocious and cruel; let Thy colour be black like a crow; lips elongated, legs long, nails ugly, teeth horrible, and let Thy eyes be ugly or yellow like those of a cat. O Devi! Assume such an ugly appearance and stand firmly for the fight. O Deer-eyed One! Speak first harsh words unto me; then I will fight with Thee; my hand does not get up to strike Thee with handsome teeth, in the battlefield. Who art like a second Rati.

47. Vyasa said O Best of the descendants of Bharata! When S’umbha said thus, the Divine Mother, seeing him passionate, smiled and said

48-50. O Stupid One! Why are you so much distressed with passion? O Fool! If your hand does not come forward to strike weapons at Me, then fight with this ugly Kalika or Chamunda; they are your best compeers in the battlefield; they will fight with you; I will stand as a mere Witness. Thus saying, the Devi Bhagavati said to Kalika, in sweet words “O Kalika! Your nature is fierce; this S’umbha likes also the fierce; so kill him.”

51-69. Vyasa said O King! That Kalika, the incarnate of Death, thus ordered, took up Her club immediately and became ready to fight, as if sent there direct by the God of Death. A dreadful fight then ensued between the two; and the highsouled Munis and the Devas were present there and witnessed the great event. S’umbha first struck at Kalika, raising his club. Kalika, then, struck S’umbha in return with her club violently. Instantly she made a dreadful sound, broke down his chariot, glittering like gold, into pieces, killed the horses of the chariot and slew the charioteer. Walking, then, on foot with a very heavy club in his hand, S’umbha struck with great anger on the breast of Kalika and began to laugh. Kalika, in the meanwhile, rendering his stroke useless, soon took up Her axe and cut off his left hand, pasted with sandal and decked with arms and weapons. His left hand thus out off, his whole body was drenched with torrents of blood; yet he came up with club in his hand and struck Kalika with it. Kalika, too, laughed and with Her scimitar cut off his right arm holding the club and ornamented with armlet. S’umbha became angry and came up violently to kick Her when Kalika quickly cut off his two legs. His arms and legs thus severed from his body, the Demon frightened Kalika and told Her, “Wait, wait.” And soon he came up before Her. Seeing the Demon coming, Kalika severed his neck from his body like a lotus; blood began to gush out in continuous streams. O King! The head of S’umbha, thus severed from his body, fell on the ground like a mountain. Immediately the life left the body. Seeing the Danava fall down lifeless, Indra and the other hosts of Devas began to worship the Devi Bhagavati, Chamunda, and Kalika and chanted lovely hymns to them. The winds then began to blow pleasantly; all the quarters looked very clear and Fire in sacrificial altars, being circumambulated, became very propitious. On the other hand, those Daityas that remained alive quitted their arms and weapons, bowed down to the Divine Mother, and fled away one and all to the Patala. O King! I have now described in regular order to you how the Devi protected the Devas and destroyed S’umbha and other Asuras. Those human beings on the surface of the earth that read this anecdote from the beginning to the very end or hear it constantly, get all their desires fulfilled; there

is no doubt in this. O King! Verily he gets a son who has not got any son; he gets abundance of wealth who is without any wealth; the diseased become cured of their diseases; what more can be said than the fact that he who hears this glorious deed of the Devi in its entirety, gets all that he desires. O King! That man who reads daily this holy anecdote or hears it, has never to fear from his enemies; in addition be gets liberation after leaving his this body.

Here ends the Thirty-first Chapter of the Fifth Book on the death of S’umbha in the Maha Puranam S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.

Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 136697, revision 402900 (2024-06-09T23:32:43Z). 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/bk05ch31.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.