Third Skandha · Chapter 23
Sourceव्यास उवाच तस्मै गौरवभोज्यानि विधाय विधिवत्तदा । वासराणि च षड्राजा भोजयामास भक्तितः ॥ १ ॥ एवं विवाहकार्याणि कृत्वा सर्वाणि पार्थिवः । पारिबर्हं प्रदत्वाऽथ मन्त्रयन्सचिवैः सह ॥ २ ॥ दूतैस्तु कथितं श्रुत्वा मार्गसंरोधनं कृतम् । बभूव विमना राजा सुबाहुरमितद्युतिः ॥ ३ ॥ सुदर्शनस्तदोवाच श्वशुरं संशितव्रतः । अस्मान्विसर्जयाशु त्वं गमिष्यामो ह्यशङ्किताः ॥ ४ ॥ भारद्वाजाश्रमं पुण्य़ं गत्वा तत्र समाहिताः । निवासाय विचारो वै कर्तव्यः सर्वथा नृप ॥ ५ ॥ नृपेभ्यश्च न कर्तव्यं भयं किञ्चित्त्वयाऽनघ । जगन्माता भवानी मे साहाय्यं वै करिष्यति ॥ ६ ॥ व्यास उवाच तस्येति मतमाज्ञाय जामातुर्नुपसत्तमः । विससर्ज धनं दत्वा प्रतस्थे सोऽपि सत्वरः ॥ ७ ॥ बलेन महताऽऽविष्टो ययावनु नृपोत्तमः । सुदर्शनो वृतस्तत्र चचाल पथि निर्भयः ॥ ८ ॥ रथैः परिवृतः शूरः सदारो रथसंस्थितः । गच्छन्ददर्श सैन्यानि नृपाणां रघुनन्दनः ॥ ९ ॥ सुबाहुरपि तान्वीक्ष्य चिन्ताविष्टो बभूव ह । विधिवत्स शिवां चित्ते जगाम शरणं मुदा ॥ १० ॥ जजापैकाक्षरं मन्त्रं कामराजमनुत्तमम् । निर्भयो वीतशोकश्च पत्न्या सह नवोढया ॥ ११ ॥ ततः सर्वे महीपालाः कृत्वा कोलाहलं तदा । उत्थिताः सैन्यसंयुक्ता हन्तुकामास्तु कन्यकाम् ॥ १२ ॥ काशिराजस्तु तान्दृष्ट्वा हन्तुकामो बभूव ह । निवारितस्तदाऽत्यर्थं राघवेण जिगीषता ॥ १३ ॥ तत्रापि नेदुः शंखाश्च भेर्यश्चानकदुन्दुभिः । सुबाहोश्च नृपाणाञ्च परस्परजिघांसताम् ॥ १४ ॥ शत्रुजित्तु सुसंवृत्तः स्थितस्तत्र जिघांसया । युधाजित्तत्सहायार्थं सन्नद्धः प्रबभूव ह ॥ १५ ॥ केचिच्च प्रेक्षकास्तस्य सहानीकैः स्थितास्तदा । युधाजिदग्रतो गत्वा सुदर्शनमुपस्थितः ॥ १६ ॥ शत्रुजित्तेन सहितो हन्तुं भ्रातरमानुजः । परस्परं ते बाणौघैस्ततक्षुः क्रोधमूर्छिताः ॥ १७ ॥ सम्मर्दः सुमहांस्तत्र सम्प्रवृत्तः सुमार्गणैः । काशीपतिस्तदा तूर्णं सैन्येन बहुना वृतः ॥ १८ ॥ साहाय्यार्थं जगामाशु जामातरमनिन्दितम् । एवं प्रवृत्ते सङ्ग्रामे दारुणे लोमहर्षणे ॥ १९ ॥ प्रादुर्बभूव सहसा देवी सिंहोपरि स्थिता । नानायुधधरा रम्या वराभूषणभूषिता ॥ २० ॥ दिव्याम्बरपरीधाना मन्दारस्रक्सुसंयुता । तां दृष्ट्वा तेऽथ भूपाला विस्मयं परमं गताः ॥ २१ ॥ केयं सिंहसमारूढा कुतो वेति समुत्थिता । सुदर्शनस्तु तां वीक्ष्य सुबाहुमिति चाब्रवीत् ॥ २२ ॥ पश्य राजन्महादेवीमागतां दिव्यदर्शनाम् । अनुग्रहाय मे नूनं प्रादुर्भूता दयान्विता ॥ २३ ॥ निर्भयोऽहं महाराज जातोऽस्मि निर्भयादपि । सुदर्शनः सुबाहुश्च तामालोक्य वराननाम् ॥ २४ ॥ प्रणामं चक्रतुस्तस्या मुदितौ दर्शनेन च । ननाद च तदा सिंहो गजास्त्रस्ताश्चकम्पिरे ॥ २५ ॥ ववुर्वाता महाघोरा दिशश्चासन्सुदारुणाः । सुदर्शनस्तदा प्राह निजं सेनापतिं प्रति ॥ २६ ॥ मार्गे व्रज त्वं तरसा भूपाला यत्र संस्थिताः । किं करिष्यन्ति राजानः कुपिता दुष्टचेतसः ॥ २७ ॥ शरणार्थञ्च सम्प्राप्ता देवी भगवती हि नः । निरातङ्कैश्च गन्तव्यं मार्गेऽस्मिन्भूपसङ्कुले ॥ २८ ॥ स्मृता मया महादेवी रक्षणार्थमुपागता । तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं सेनापतिस्तेन पथाऽव्रजत् ॥ २९ ॥ युधाजित्तु सुसङ्क्रुद्धस्तानुवाच महीपतीन् । किं स्थिता भयसन्त्रस्ता निघ्नन्तु कन्यकान्वितम् ॥ ३० ॥ अवमन्य च नः सर्वान्बलहीनो बलाधिकान् । कन्यां गृहीत्वा संयाति निर्भयस्तरसा शिशुः ॥ ३१ ॥ किं भीताः कामिनीं वीक्ष्य सिंहोपरि सुसंस्थिताम् । नोपेक्ष्यो हि महाभागा हन्तव्योऽत्र समाहितैः ॥ ३२ ॥ हत्वैनं सङ्ग्रहीष्यामः कन्यां चारुविभूषणाम् । नायं केसरिणादत्तां छेत्तुमर्हति जम्बुकः ॥ ३३ ॥ इत्युक्त्वा सैन्यसंयुक्तः शत्रुजित्सहितस्तदा । योद्धुकामः सुसम्प्राप्तो युधाजित्क्रोधसंवृतः ॥ ३४ ॥ मुमोच विशिखांस्तूर्णं समपुंखाञ्छिलाशितान् । धनुराकृष्य कर्णान्तं कर्मारपरिमार्जितान् ॥ ३५ ॥ हन्तुकामः सुदुर्मेधाः सुदर्शनमथोपरि । सुदर्शनस्तु तान्बाणैश्चिच्छेदापततः क्षणात् ॥ ३६ ॥ एवं युद्धे प्रवृत्तेऽथ चुकोप चण्डिका भृशम् । दुर्गादेवी मुमोचाथ बाणान् युधाजितं प्रति ॥ ३७ ॥ नानारूपा तदा जाता नानाशस्रधरा शिवा । सम्प्राप्ता तुमुलं तत्र चकार जगदम्बिका ॥ ३८ ॥ शत्रुजिन्निहतस्तत्र युधाजिदपि पार्थिवः । पतितौ तौ रथाभ्यां तु जयशब्दस्तदाऽभवत् ॥ ३९ ॥ विस्मयं परमं प्राप्ता भूपाः सर्वे विलोक्य ताम् । निधनं मातुलस्यापि भागिनेयस्य संयुगे ॥ ४० ॥ सुबाहुरपि तद्दृष्ट्वा निधनं संयुगे तयोः । तुष्टाव परमप्रीतो दुर्गां दुर्गार्तिनाशिनीम् ॥ ४१ ॥ सुबाहुरुवाच नमौ देव्यै जगद्धात्र्यै शिवायै सततं नमः । दुर्गायै भगवत्यै ते कामदायै नमो नमः ॥ ४२ ॥ नमः शिवायै शान्त्यै ते विद्यायै मोक्षदे नमः । विश्वव्याप्त्यै जगन्मातर्जगद्धात्र्यै नमः शिवे ॥ ४३ ॥ नाहं गतिं तव धिया परिचिन्तयन् वै जानामि देवि सगुणः किल निर्गुणायाः । किं स्तौमि विश्वजननीं प्रकटप्रभावां भक्तार्तिनाशनपरां परमाञ्च शक्तिम् ॥ ४४ ॥ वाग्देवता त्वमसि सर्वगतैव बुद्धि- र्विद्या मतिश्च गतिरप्यसि सर्वजन्तोः । त्वां स्तौमि किं त्वमसि सर्वमनोनियन्त्री किं स्तूयते हि सततं खलु चात्मरूपम् ॥ ४५ ॥ ब्रह्मा हरश्च हरिरप्यनिशं स्तुवन्तो नान्तं गताः सुरवराः किल ते गुणानाम् । क्वाहं विभेदमतिरम्ब गुणैर्वृतो वै वक्तुं क्षमस्तव चरित्रमहोऽप्रसिद्धः ॥ ४६ ॥ सत्सङ्गतिः कथमहो न करोति कामं प्रासङ्गिकापि विहिता खलु चित्तशुद्धिः । जामातुरस्य विहितेन समागमेन प्राप्तं मयाऽद्भुतमिदं तव दर्शनं वै ॥ ४७ ॥ ब्रह्माऽपि वाञ्छति सदैव हरो हरिश्च सेन्द्राः सुराश्च मुनयो विदितार्थतत्त्वाः । यद्दर्शनं जननि तेऽद्य मया दुरापं प्राप्तं विना दमशमादिसमाधिभिश्च ॥ ४८ ॥ क्वाहं सुमन्दमतिराशु तवावलोकं क्वेदं भवानि भवभेषजमद्वितीयम् । ज्ञाताऽसि देवि सततं किल भावयुक्ता भक्तानुकम्पनपरामरवर्गपूज्या ॥ ४९ ॥ किं वर्णयामि तव देवि चरित्रमेतद् यद्रक्षितोऽस्ति विषमेऽत्र सुदर्शनोऽयम् । शत्रू हतौ सुबलिनौ तरसा त्वयाद्य भक्तानुकम्पि चरितं परमं पवित्रम् ॥ ५० ॥ नाश्चर्यमेतदिति देवि विचारितेऽर्थे त्वं पासि सर्वमखिलं स्थिरजङ्गमं वै । त्रातस्त्वया च विनिहत्य रिपुर्दयातः संरक्षितोऽयमधुना ध्रुवसन्धिसूनुः ॥ ५१ ॥ भक्तस्य सेवनपरस्य स्वयशोऽतिदीप्तं कर्तुं भवानि रचितं चरितं त्वयैतत् । नोचेत्कथं सुपरिगृह्य सुतां मदीयां युद्धे भवेत्कुशलवाननवद्यशीलः ॥ ५२ ॥ शक्ताऽसि जन्ममरणादिभयान्विहन्तुं किं चित्रमत्र किल भक्तजनस्य कामम् । त्वं गीयसे जननि भक्तजनैरपारा त्वं पापपुण्यरहिता सगुणाऽगुणा च ॥ ५३ ॥ त्वद्दर्शनादहमहो सुकृती कृतार्थो जातोऽस्मि देवि भुवनेश्वरि धन्यजन्मा । बीजं न ते न भजनं किल वेद्मि मात- र्ज्ञातस्तवाद्य महिमा प्रकटप्रभावः ॥ ५४ ॥ व्यास उवाच एवं स्तुता तदा देवी प्रसन्नवदना शिवा । उवाच च नृपं देवी वरं वरय सुव्रत ॥ ५५ ॥
vyāsa uvāca tasmai gauravabhojyāni vidhāya vidhivattadā | vāsarāṇi ca ṣaḍrājā bhojayāmāsa bhaktitaḥ || 1 || evaṃ vivāhakāryāṇi kṛtvā sarvāṇi pārthivaḥ | pāribarhaṃ pradatvā'tha mantrayansacivaiḥ saha || 2 || dūtaistu kathitaṃ śrutvā mārgasaṃrodhanaṃ kṛtam | babhūva vimanā rājā subāhuramitadyutiḥ || 3 || sudarśanastadovāca śvaśuraṃ saṃśitavrataḥ | asmānvisarjayāśu tvaṃ gamiṣyāmo hyaśaṅkitāḥ || 4 || bhāradvājāśramaṃ puṇẏaṃ gatvā tatra samāhitāḥ | nivāsāya vicāro vai kartavyaḥ sarvathā nṛpa || 5 || nṛpebhyaśca na kartavyaṃ bhayaṃ kiñcittvayā'nagha | jaganmātā bhavānī me sāhāyyaṃ vai kariṣyati || 6 || vyāsa uvāca tasyeti matamājñāya jāmāturnupasattamaḥ | visasarja dhanaṃ datvā pratasthe so'pi satvaraḥ || 7 || balena mahatā''viṣṭo yayāvanu nṛpottamaḥ | sudarśano vṛtastatra cacāla pathi nirbhayaḥ || 8 || rathaiḥ parivṛtaḥ śūraḥ sadāro rathasaṃsthitaḥ | gacchandadarśa sainyāni nṛpāṇāṃ raghunandanaḥ || 9 || subāhurapi tānvīkṣya cintāviṣṭo babhūva ha | vidhivatsa śivāṃ citte jagāma śaraṇaṃ mudā || 10 || jajāpaikākṣaraṃ mantraṃ kāmarājamanuttamam | nirbhayo vītaśokaśca patnyā saha navoḍhayā || 11 || tataḥ sarve mahīpālāḥ kṛtvā kolāhalaṃ tadā | utthitāḥ sainyasaṃyuktā hantukāmāstu kanyakām || 12 || kāśirājastu tāndṛṣṭvā hantukāmo babhūva ha | nivāritastadā'tyarthaṃ rāghaveṇa jigīṣatā || 13 || tatrāpi neduḥ śaṃkhāśca bheryaścānakadundubhiḥ | subāhośca nṛpāṇāñca parasparajighāṃsatām || 14 || śatrujittu susaṃvṛttaḥ sthitastatra jighāṃsayā | yudhājittatsahāyārthaṃ sannaddhaḥ prababhūva ha || 15 || kecicca prekṣakāstasya sahānīkaiḥ sthitāstadā | yudhājidagrato gatvā sudarśanamupasthitaḥ || 16 || śatrujittena sahito hantuṃ bhrātaramānujaḥ | parasparaṃ te bāṇaughaistatakṣuḥ krodhamūrchitāḥ || 17 || sammardaḥ sumahāṃstatra sampravṛttaḥ sumārgaṇaiḥ | kāśīpatistadā tūrṇaṃ sainyena bahunā vṛtaḥ || 18 || sāhāyyārthaṃ jagāmāśu jāmātaramaninditam | evaṃ pravṛtte saṅgrāme dāruṇe lomaharṣaṇe || 19 || prādurbabhūva sahasā devī siṃhopari sthitā | nānāyudhadharā ramyā varābhūṣaṇabhūṣitā || 20 || divyāmbaraparīdhānā mandārasraksusaṃyutā | tāṃ dṛṣṭvā te'tha bhūpālā vismayaṃ paramaṃ gatāḥ || 21 || keyaṃ siṃhasamārūḍhā kuto veti samutthitā | sudarśanastu tāṃ vīkṣya subāhumiti cābravīt || 22 || paśya rājanmahādevīmāgatāṃ divyadarśanām | anugrahāya me nūnaṃ prādurbhūtā dayānvitā || 23 || nirbhayo'haṃ mahārāja jāto'smi nirbhayādapi | sudarśanaḥ subāhuśca tāmālokya varānanām || 24 || praṇāmaṃ cakratustasyā muditau darśanena ca | nanāda ca tadā siṃho gajāstrastāścakampire || 25 || vavurvātā mahāghorā diśaścāsansudāruṇāḥ | sudarśanastadā prāha nijaṃ senāpatiṃ prati || 26 || mārge vraja tvaṃ tarasā bhūpālā yatra saṃsthitāḥ | kiṃ kariṣyanti rājānaḥ kupitā duṣṭacetasaḥ || 27 || śaraṇārthañca samprāptā devī bhagavatī hi naḥ | nirātaṅkaiśca gantavyaṃ mārge'sminbhūpasaṅkule || 28 || smṛtā mayā mahādevī rakṣaṇārthamupāgatā | tacchrutvā vacanaṃ senāpatistena pathā'vrajat || 29 || yudhājittu susaṅkruddhastānuvāca mahīpatīn | kiṃ sthitā bhayasantrastā nighnantu kanyakānvitam || 30 || avamanya ca naḥ sarvānbalahīno balādhikān | kanyāṃ gṛhītvā saṃyāti nirbhayastarasā śiśuḥ || 31 || kiṃ bhītāḥ kāminīṃ vīkṣya siṃhopari susaṃsthitām | nopekṣyo hi mahābhāgā hantavyo'tra samāhitaiḥ || 32 || hatvainaṃ saṅgrahīṣyāmaḥ kanyāṃ cāruvibhūṣaṇām | nāyaṃ kesariṇādattāṃ chettumarhati jambukaḥ || 33 || ityuktvā sainyasaṃyuktaḥ śatrujitsahitastadā | yoddhukāmaḥ susamprāpto yudhājitkrodhasaṃvṛtaḥ || 34 || mumoca viśikhāṃstūrṇaṃ samapuṃkhāñchilāśitān | dhanurākṛṣya karṇāntaṃ karmāraparimārjitān || 35 || hantukāmaḥ sudurmedhāḥ sudarśanamathopari | sudarśanastu tānbāṇaiścicchedāpatataḥ kṣaṇāt || 36 || evaṃ yuddhe pravṛtte'tha cukopa caṇḍikā bhṛśam | durgādevī mumocātha bāṇān yudhājitaṃ prati || 37 || nānārūpā tadā jātā nānāśasradharā śivā | samprāptā tumulaṃ tatra cakāra jagadambikā || 38 || śatrujinnihatastatra yudhājidapi pārthivaḥ | patitau tau rathābhyāṃ tu jayaśabdastadā'bhavat || 39 || vismayaṃ paramaṃ prāptā bhūpāḥ sarve vilokya tām | nidhanaṃ mātulasyāpi bhāgineyasya saṃyuge || 40 || subāhurapi taddṛṣṭvā nidhanaṃ saṃyuge tayoḥ | tuṣṭāva paramaprīto durgāṃ durgārtināśinīm || 41 || subāhuruvāca namau devyai jagaddhātryai śivāyai satataṃ namaḥ | durgāyai bhagavatyai te kāmadāyai namo namaḥ || 42 || namaḥ śivāyai śāntyai te vidyāyai mokṣade namaḥ | viśvavyāptyai jaganmātarjagaddhātryai namaḥ śive || 43 || nāhaṃ gatiṃ tava dhiyā paricintayan vai jānāmi devi saguṇaḥ kila nirguṇāyāḥ | kiṃ staumi viśvajananīṃ prakaṭaprabhāvāṃ bhaktārtināśanaparāṃ paramāñca śaktim || 44 || vāgdevatā tvamasi sarvagataiva buddhi- rvidyā matiśca gatirapyasi sarvajantoḥ | tvāṃ staumi kiṃ tvamasi sarvamanoniyantrī kiṃ stūyate hi satataṃ khalu cātmarūpam || 45 || brahmā haraśca harirapyaniśaṃ stuvanto nāntaṃ gatāḥ suravarāḥ kila te guṇānām | kvāhaṃ vibhedamatiramba guṇairvṛto vai vaktuṃ kṣamastava caritramaho'prasiddhaḥ || 46 || satsaṅgatiḥ kathamaho na karoti kāmaṃ prāsaṅgikāpi vihitā khalu cittaśuddhiḥ | jāmāturasya vihitena samāgamena prāptaṃ mayā'dbhutamidaṃ tava darśanaṃ vai || 47 || brahmā'pi vāñchati sadaiva haro hariśca sendrāḥ surāśca munayo viditārthatattvāḥ | yaddarśanaṃ janani te'dya mayā durāpaṃ prāptaṃ vinā damaśamādisamādhibhiśca || 48 || kvāhaṃ sumandamatirāśu tavāvalokaṃ kvedaṃ bhavāni bhavabheṣajamadvitīyam | jñātā'si devi satataṃ kila bhāvayuktā bhaktānukampanaparāmaravargapūjyā || 49 || kiṃ varṇayāmi tava devi caritrametad yadrakṣito'sti viṣame'tra sudarśano'yam | śatrū hatau subalinau tarasā tvayādya bhaktānukampi caritaṃ paramaṃ pavitram || 50 || nāścaryametaditi devi vicārite'rthe tvaṃ pāsi sarvamakhilaṃ sthirajaṅgamaṃ vai | trātastvayā ca vinihatya ripurdayātaḥ saṃrakṣito'yamadhunā dhruvasandhisūnuḥ || 51 || bhaktasya sevanaparasya svayaśo'tidīptaṃ kartuṃ bhavāni racitaṃ caritaṃ tvayaitat | nocetkathaṃ suparigṛhya sutāṃ madīyāṃ yuddhe bhavetkuśalavānanavadyaśīlaḥ || 52 || śaktā'si janmamaraṇādibhayānvihantuṃ kiṃ citramatra kila bhaktajanasya kāmam | tvaṃ gīyase janani bhaktajanairapārā tvaṃ pāpapuṇyarahitā saguṇā'guṇā ca || 53 || tvaddarśanādahamaho sukṛtī kṛtārtho jāto'smi devi bhuvaneśvari dhanyajanmā | bījaṃ na te na bhajanaṃ kila vedmi māta- rjñātastavādya mahimā prakaṭaprabhāvaḥ || 54 || vyāsa uvāca evaṃ stutā tadā devī prasannavadanā śivā | uvāca ca nṛpaṃ devī varaṃ varaya suvrata || 55 ||
English translation
1. Vyasa said After paying due respects to his new son-in-law, the king Subahu cheerfully entertained him for six days with variety of good dishes.
2. Thus finishing off the marriage ceremony, the king after consulting with his ministers, presented the bridegroom and the bride various jewels and ornaments and other things given naturally on marriage occasions.
3. Then the king of Benares, of brilliant splendour, heard from his messengers that the kings had obstructed the way back of Sudars’ana and became very absent minded.
4. Then Sudars’ana, of firm resolve, told his father-in-law “O king! better now give us order that we may depart. We will go without any fear.
5. O king! First we will halt at the holy hermitage of Bharadvaja Muni; and next we will, after due considerations, settle where we would go.
6. O pure one! You need not fear a bit from these kings; the Mother of the Universe, the Bhagavati Bhavani will surely protect us.”
7. Vyasa said O king Janamejaya! Hearing thus his son-in-law’s orders, the king Subahu gave hinn a vast amount of wealth and bade good-bye to him. Sudars’ana, too, quickly departed.
8. The king Subahu followed him with a long train of soldiers. Thus Sudars’ana went on, in his journey, fearless.
9. The great hero Sudars’ana, the descendant of Raghu, with his new consort in the chariot and followed by many other chariots, saw the soldiers of the several kings.
10. The king Subahu, seeing them, became anxious. But Sudars’ana, gladly took refuge, with his whole heart, of the all- auspicious Goddess S’ankari.
11. Sudars’ana began to recite silently the excellent one word seed mantra of the King of Desires (Kamaraja) and, out of its power, he and his wife remained in the chariot without any fear and sorrow.
12. Then all the kings came there with their soldiers to fight with Sudars’ana and to carry away by force the bride. Thus a loud uproar arose.
13. The king of Benares seeing them wanted to kill them. But Sudars’ana, the descent of Raghu, desirous of victory, repeatedly asked him not do so.
14. Loud arose, then, the uproar, caused by the sounds of conchshells, bherri, and war drums of the kings on one side and Subahu on the other, each of the two parties determining to extirpate the other.
15. S’atrujit prepared himself for the war to destroy his enemy. Yudhajit came there for his help, well equipped with army, etc.
16-17. Some warrior kings remained there as witnesses with their soldiers. Then Yudhajit went in front of Sudars’ana. His younger brother S’atrujit, too, attended Yudhajit to kill his brother in the battle field. Then the warriors, overpowered with anger, shot each other with arrows.
18. A great encounter then ensued in the battle field with sharp arrows. The king of Benares hurriedly advanced there, with a great body of army, to relieve his son-in-law.
19. Thus when the dreadful war began to grow more and more horrible, the Goddess Bhagavati suddenly appeared there, mounted on Her lion.
20-21. The beauty of Her body was exceedingly lovely; She was adorned with various excellent ornaments and She held various weapons. She wore divine clothings and the beautiful Mandara garland suspended from Her neck up to Her knees. The kings were greatly astonished to see Her. They began to argue “Who in this Lady, mounted on a lion? Whence has She so suddenly come?”
22-23. Beholding Her, Sudars’ana told the king of Benares “O king! Behold! The Divine Maha Devi has come here to favour us. She is very merciful. Now I am completely fearless.”
24. Sudars’ana and Subahu were highly delighted to see the Beautiful Goddess and bowed down to Her feet with great devotion.
25. Then the lion, the vehicle of the Goddess, roared, making tremendous noise. Hearing the roaring of the lion, all the elephants trembled. At that time, the winds began to blow violently and the four quarters assumed an awful appearance.
26-27. Then Sudars’ana told his general to carry soon his forces where the kings were staying, blocking his way. “What could the vicious kings do now, though they had become very angry? The Goddess Bhagavati had come there to save us.
28. Now you all go safely and calmly through the midst of the kings. See! At my remembering Her, She has come here mercifully to save
us.
29-30. The general, on hearing these words, became ready to march by that route. Then Yudhajit, very much infuriated with anger, said to all the kings “Why are you all so much fear stricken? Kill this Sudars’ana, stealing away this girl.
31. This lad, weak and without any support, will carry away by force and fearlessly the girl, spiting all the kings; and won’t you be able to do anything? This is very strange!
32. Are you afraid to see this one lady on a lion? O high minded kings! Never trifle away this boy; kill him with all attention.
33. Killing him, we will then take away this girl. The jackal can never snatch away the lady under the grasp of a lion.”
34. Thus saying, the king Yudhajit, filled with anger, came to the battle field with S’atrujit and all his forces.
35-36. That wicked king, drew his bow string well nigh to his ear and shot arrows after arrows, sharpened under stone and by blacksmith at Sudars’ana, with the object of killing him. Sudars’ana cut off all those arrows quickly with his own quick going arrows.
37. Thus when the fight grew intense, the Goddess Chandika became very mach enraged and shot arrows at Yudhajit.
38. Assuming diverse forms, the Goddess Durga, holding various weapons the auspicious Mother of the Universe, began to fight terribly in the battle field.
39. S’atrujit and the king Yudhajit were killed in that terrible battle. Both of them fell dead from their chariots; and a shout of victory arose from the side of Sudars’an.
40. The uncle and cousin of the king Subahu were on the side of Yudhajit and were killed. The kings were very much astonished to see them thus lying dead.
41. The king Subahu, seeing them dead in the battlefield became very glad and began to praise and sing hymns in honour of Durga Devi the Destroyer of all difficulties.
42-43. I bow to the auspicious Goddess Jagaddhatri, again and again; I bow to the Bhagavati Durga the bestower of all desires; I always bow down to Her Who is auspicious, peace giving, and the Higher Vidya. O Mother! O Giver of salvation! O Auspicious One! You are pervading the whole Universe, O World Mother! and Upholder of the Universe! I bow down to Thee.
44. O World-mother! O Devi! you are devoid of Prakritic qualities; you are full of qualities; beyond mind and speech; one cannot think out your prowess, etc., by one’s mind. Mother! you are the Highest Force; ever willing to destroy the miseries of your devoted persons. Your influence is manifest everywhere; what eulogy can I sing of Thee.
45. O Devi! You are the Goddess of Vak (speech) of all beings; you are the all pervading intelligence, mind, effort, and movements; you are the controller of the minds of all; therefore how can I praise You? O Goddess; You are the Self of all; how can I sing eulogies to You, who are beyond speech and mind, and to the Universal Self.
46. Brahma, Hah and Hara and other higher Devas have not been able to find the limits of your qualities, though they are incessantly
chanting your praises; O Goddess! I am the small of the smallest, I am without qualification, and bound by Prakritic qualities; I am ignorant as regards Jiva and Brahma. O Mother! I will never be able to describe Your characteristics that are unfathomable.
47. O Mother! why not good companionships effect the fulfilment of one’s desires. The purification of my heart has been effected incidentally. O Mother! my son-in-law is wholly devoted to you; accidentally there has arisen the connection between him and me and it is on account of his connection that I have been able to see You.
48. O Mother! Today I have got without any restraint and control of passions, and samadhi, the rare vision of You, who is wanted to be seen even by Brahma, Hah and Hara, Indra and the other Devas and by the Munis, who have attained their realisation. Therefore who is there in this Triloki, that is so fortunate as I am.
49. O Bhavani! Where am I, void of intelligence and where is the rare vision of You, Who is the only medicine of this disease of the ocean of world? Still, O Mother! Who is worshipped by the Devas, I have got Your vision. Now I have come to know that You always show mercy to Your Bhaktas, who are in their Bhavas (mental images of your Self).
50. O Goddess! You have saved Sudars’an in this great war crisis and You have slain these two powerful enemies. How can I describe your prowess in this matter? This I have understood that Your Holy Character ever shows mercy on Your devotees.
51. O Goddess! Again this is not a matter to be wondered at, if one considers; for You are protecting this whole universe, moving and unmoving; and accordingly You have now protected, out of Your mercy, your Bhakta Sudars’ana, the son of Dhruvasandhi, by killing his enemy.
52. O Bhavani! It is not merely for the protection of your Bhaktas, engaged in Your service, that You shew this favour but also to extol the meritorious deeds of your Bhaktas that You do such things; otherwise how is it that this Bhakta saintlike Sudars’ana, by marrying my daughter, has got victory in this battle field?
53. O Mother! You are fully capable to destroy the fear of birth and death. What wonder is there that you fulfill the desires of your Bhaktas? The Bhaktas extol You by characterising You as Saguna (full of qualities), Nirguna (devoid of any quality) and Apara, beyond all merits and demerits.
54. O Goddess! O Bhuvanes’vari! I am fortunate that I have been able to see You, and thus all my duties have become crowned with success. O Mother! I have no practices in the shape of Your meditation, etc. nor do I know any seed mantras of Yours; today I have fully seen Your glory manifested.
55. Vyasa said Thus extolled by the king Subahu, the Goddess Bhagavati, the Bestower of the Absolute Freedom, was pleased and said “O thou, practiser of good vows! Ask boon from Me.”
Thus ends the twenty third chapter on the killing of the enemy of Sudars’ana in the great war, in S’rimad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000
verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 24748, revision 75602 (2016-08-03T12:28:06Z). 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/bk03ch23.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.