ऋषिरुवाच ॥
१ ॥
The Rishi said:
निशुम्भं निहतं दृष्ट्वा भ्रातरं प्राणसम्मितम् ।
हन्यमानं बलं चैव शुम्भः क्रुद्धोऽब्रवीद्वचः ॥
२ ॥
Seeing Nishumbha, the brother dear to him as life, slain, and his army being cut down, Shumbha spoke in anger:
बलावलेपाद्दुष्टे त्वं मा दुर्गे गर्वमावह ।
अन्यासां बलमाश्रित्य युद्ध्यसे यातिमानिनी ॥
३ ॥
‘O Durga, wicked in the pride of Your strength, do not boast. You who are so proud fight by leaning on the strength of others.’
देव्युवाच ॥
४ ॥
The Devi said:
एकैवाहं जगत्यत्र द्वितीया का ममापरा ।
पश्यैता दुष्ट मय्येव विशन्त्यो मद्विभूतयः ॥
५ ॥
‘I am One alone in this world; who else is there besides Me? See, O wicked one: these are My own powers, entering back into Me.’
ततः समस्तास्ता देव्यो ब्रह्माणीप्रमुखा लयम् ।
तस्या देव्यास्तनौ जग्मुरेकैवासीत्तदाम्बिका ॥
६ ॥
Then all those Devis, Brahmani and the rest, were absorbed into the body of that Devi, and Ambika alone remained.
देव्युवाच ॥
७ ॥
The Devi said:
अहं विभूत्या बहुभिरिह रूपैर्यदास्थिता ।
तत्संहृतं मयैकैव तिष्ठाम्याजौ स्थिरो भव ॥
८ ॥
‘The many forms in which I stood here by My power, I have now drawn back into Myself. I stand alone in the battle: now stand firm.’
ऋषिरुवाच ॥
९ ॥
The Rishi said:
ततः प्रववृते युद्धं देव्याः शुम्भस्य चोभयोः ।
पश्यतां सर्वदेवानामसुराणां च दारुणम् ॥
१० ॥
Then, as all the gods and the asuras looked on, a terrible battle began between the two, the Devi and Shumbha.
शरवर्षैः शितैः शस्त्रैस्तथा चास्त्रैः सुदारुणैः ।
तयोर्युद्धमभूद्भूयः सर्वलोकभयङ्करम् ॥
११ ॥
With showers of arrows, with sharp weapons and most dreadful missiles, their battle grew again, terrifying to all the worlds.
दिव्यान्यस्त्राणि शतशो मुमुचे यान्यथाम्बिका ।
बभञ्ज तानि दैत्येन्द्रस्तत्प्रतीघातकर्तृभिः ॥
१२ ॥
The celestial weapons Ambika loosed in their hundreds, the lord of the daityas broke with weapons that countered them.
मुक्तानि तेन चास्त्राणि दिव्यानि परमेश्वरी ।
बभञ्ज लीलयैवोग्रहुङ्कारोच्चारणादिभिः ॥
१३ ॥
And the celestial weapons he loosed, Parameshwari broke as if at play, with a fierce cry of ‘hum’ and the like.
ततः शरशतैर्देवीमाच्छादयत सोऽसुरः ।
सापि तत्कुपिता देवी धनुश्चिच्छेद चेषुभिः ॥
१४ ॥
Then the asura covered the Devi with hundreds of arrows; and the Devi, angered, cut through his bow with Her arrows.
छिन्ने धनुषि दैत्येन्द्रस्तथा शक्तिमथाददे ।
चिच्छेद देवी चक्रेण तामप्यस्य करे स्थिताम् ॥
१५ ॥
His bow cut, the lord of the daityas took up a spear; the Devi cut that too with Her discus, even as it lay in his hand.
ततः खड्गमुपादाय शतचन्द्रं च भानुमत् ।
अभ्यधावत्तदा देवीं दैत्यानामधिपेश्वरः ॥
१६ ॥
Then the overlord of the daityas took up a sword and a shining shield marked with a hundred moons, and rushed at the Devi.
तस्यापतत एवाशु खड्गं चिच्छेद चण्डिका ।
धनुर्मुक्तैः शितैर्बाणैश्चर्म चार्ककरामलम् ॥
१७ ॥
Even as he fell upon Her, Chandika swiftly cut through his sword, and his shield bright as the sun's rays, with sharp arrows from Her bow.
हताश्वः स तदा दैत्यश्छिन्नधन्वा विसारथिः ।
जग्राह मुद्गरं घोरमम्बिकानिधनोद्यतः ॥
१८ ॥
His horses slain, his bow cut and his charioteer gone, the daitya then seized a dreadful club, bent on killing Ambika.
चिच्छेदापततस्तस्य मुद्गरं निशितैः शरैः ।
तथापि सोऽभ्यधावत्तां मुष्टिमुद्यम्य वेगवान् ॥
१९ ॥
As he came on, She cut through his club with sharp arrows; still he rushed at Her, swift, with his fist raised.
स मुष्टिं पातयामास हृदये दैत्यपुङ्गवः ।
देव्यास्तं चापि सा देवी तलेनोरस्यताडयत् ॥
२० ॥
That bull among daityas brought his fist down on the Devi's breast, and the Devi struck him on the chest with the palm of Her hand.
तलप्रहाराभिहतो निपपात महीतले ।
स दैत्यराजः सहसा पुनरेव तथोत्थितः ॥
२१ ॥
Struck by the blow of Her palm, the king of the daityas fell to the ground, but at once he rose again as before.
उत्पत्य च प्रगृह्योच्चैर्देवीं गगनमास्थितः ।
तत्रापि सा निराधारा युयुधे तेन चण्डिका ॥
२२ ॥
Leaping up, he seized the Devi and rose high into the sky; there too Chandika, with nothing to stand on, fought him.
नियुद्धं खे तदा दैत्यश्चण्डिका च परस्परम् ।
चक्रतुः प्रथमं सिद्धमुनिविस्मयकारकम् ॥
२३ ॥
Then the daitya and Chandika fought hand to hand in the sky, a combat such as had never been, that filled the siddhas and sages with wonder.
ततो नियुद्धं सुचिरं कृत्वा तेनाम्बिका सह ।
उत्पात्य भ्रामयामास चिक्षेप धरणीतले ॥
२४ ॥
Then, after fighting him hand to hand for a long while, Ambika lifted him up, whirled him round and flung him to the earth.
स क्षिप्तो धरणीं प्राप्य मुष्टिमुद्यम्य वेगितः ।
अभ्यधावत दुष्टात्मा चण्डिकानिधनेच्छया ॥
२५ ॥
Flung down, that wicked one reached the ground and, fist raised, rushed swiftly at Chandika, wanting to kill Her.
तमायान्तं ततो देवी सर्वदैत्यजनेश्वरम् ।
जगत्यां पातयामास भित्त्वा शूलेन वक्षसि ॥
२६ ॥
As that lord of all the daityas came on, the Devi pierced his chest with Her spear and threw him down upon the earth.
स गतासुः पपातोर्व्यां देवीशूलाग्रविक्षतः ।
चालयन् सकलां पृथ्वीं साब्धिद्वीपां सपर्वताम् ॥
२७ ॥
Pierced by the point of the Devi's spear, he fell lifeless to the ground, shaking the whole earth with its seas, islands and mountains.
ततः प्रसन्नमखिलं हते तस्मिन् दुरात्मनि ।
जगत् स्वास्थ्यमतीवाप निर्मलं चाभवन्नभः ॥
२८ ॥
When that wicked one was slain, the whole world grew serene and came fully to health again, and the sky turned clear.
उत्पातमेघाः सोल्का ये प्रागासंस्ते शमं ययुः ।
सरितो मार्गवाहिन्यस्तथासंस्तत्र पातिते ॥
२९ ॥
The clouds of ill omen and the falling meteors that had been before were stilled, and when he had fallen the rivers flowed in their courses again.
ततो देवगणाः सर्वे हर्षनिर्भरमानसाः ।
बभूवुर्निहते तस्मिन् गन्धर्वा ललितं जगुः ॥
३० ॥
When he was slain, the hearts of all the hosts of gods overflowed with joy, and the gandharvas sang sweetly.
अवादयंस्तथैवान्ये ननृतुश्चाप्सरोगणाः ।
ववुः पुण्यास्तथा वाताः सुप्रभोऽभूद्दिवाकरः ॥
३१ ॥
Others played their instruments, and the apsaras danced; pure breezes blew, and the sun shone bright.
जज्वलुश्चाग्नयः शान्ताः शान्ता दिग्जनितस्वनाः ॥
३२ ॥
The altar fires that had gone out blazed up again, and the dreadful sounds from every quarter fell silent.