r̥ṣiruvāca.
The Sage said:
devāsuramabhūdyuddhaṁ pūrṇamabdaśataṁ purā . mahiṣe'surāṇāmadhipe devānāṁ ca purandare.
Formerly a battle was fought between the devas and the asuras for a full hundred years, when Mahishasura was the lord of the asuras and Purandara (Indra) was the lord of the devas.
tatrāsurairmahāvīryairdevasainyaṁ parājitam . jitvā ca sakalān devānindro'bhūnmahiṣāsuraḥ.
In that battle, the army of the devas was vanquished by the asuras of great valour. After conquering all the devas, Mahishasura became the lord of heaven (Indra).
tataḥ parājitā devāḥ padmayoniṁ prajāpatim . puraskr̥tya gatāstatra yatreśagaruḍadhvajau.
Then the vanquished devas, placing Prajapati Brahma at their head, went to the place where Shiva and Vishnu were.
yathāvr̥ttaṁ tayostadvanmahiṣāsuraceṣṭitam . tridaśāḥ kathayāmāsurdevābhibhavavistaram.
The devas described to them in detail, exactly as it had happened, the doings of Mahishasura and the defeat of the devas.
sūryendrāgnyanilendūnāṁ yamasya varuṇasya ca . anyeṣāṁ cādhikārānsa svayamevādhitiṣṭhati.
He himself has assumed the jurisdictions of Surya, Indra, Agni, Vayu, Chandra, Yama, Varuna, and other devas.
svargānnirākr̥tāḥ sarve tena devagaṇā bhuvi . vicaranti yathā martyā mahiṣeṇa durātmanā.
Thrown out from heaven by that evil-natured Mahisha, the hosts of devas wander on the earth like mortals.
etadvaḥ kathitaṁ sarvamamarāriviceṣṭitam . śaraṇaṁ vaḥ prapannāḥ smo vadhastasya vicintyatām.
All the doings of the enemy of the devas have been related to you. We have sought refuge in you; may his destruction be devised.
itthaṁ niśamya devānāṁ vacāṁsi madhusūdanaḥ . cakāra kopaṁ śambhuśca bhrukuṭīkuṭilānanau.
Having thus heard the words of the devas, Vishnu and Shiva became angry, and their faces grew fierce with frowns.
tato'tikopapūrṇasya cakriṇo vadanāttataḥ . niścakrāma mahattejo brahmaṇaḥ śaṅkarasya ca.
Then from the face of Vishnu, who was filled with intense anger, and from those of Brahma and Shiva, sprang forth a great effulgence.
anyeṣāṁ caiva devānāṁ śakrādīnāṁ śarīrataḥ . nirgataṁ sumahattejastaccaikyaṁ samagacchata.
From the bodies of Indra and other devas also sprang forth a very great effulgence, and all this light united together.
atīva tejasaḥ kūṭaṁ jvalantamiva parvatam . dadr̥śuste surāstatra jvālāvyāptadigantaram.
The devas saw there a concentration of light like a blazing mountain, whose flames pervaded all the quarters.
atulaṁ tatra tattejaḥ sarvadevaśarīrajam . ekasthaṁ tadabhūnnārī vyāptalokatrayaṁ tviṣā.
That peerless effulgence, born from the bodies of all the devas, gathered into a single mass and turned into a woman, pervading the three worlds with her lustre.
yadabhūcchāmbhavaṁ tejastenājāyata tanmukham . yāmyena cābhavan keśā bāhavo viṣṇutejasā.
By that which was Shiva's light, her face came into being; by Yama's light her hair, and by Vishnu's light her arms.
saumyena stanayoryugmaṁ madhyaṁ caindreṇa cābhavat . vāruṇena ca jaṅghorū nitambastejasā bhuvaḥ.
By the moon's light her two breasts, and by Indra's light her waist; by Varuna's light her shanks and thighs, and by the earth's light her hips.
brahmaṇastejasā pādau tadaṅgulyo'rkatejasā . vasūnāṁ ca karāṅgulyaḥ kaubereṇa ca nāsikā.
By Brahma's light her feet, and by the sun's light her toes; by the Vasus' light her fingers, and by Kubera's light her nose.
tasyāstu dantāḥ sambhūtāḥ prājāpatyena tejasā . nayanatritayaṁ jajñe tathā pāvakatejasā.
Her teeth were formed by the light of Prajapati, and her three eyes were produced by the light of Agni.
bhruvau ca sandhyayostejaḥ śravaṇāvanilasya ca . anyeṣāṁ caiva devānāṁ sambhavastejasāṁ śivā.
Her eyebrows were formed by the light of the two twilights, and her ears by the light of Vayu; thus the kind Devi was born from the energy of the other devas as well.
tataḥ samastadevānāṁ tejorāśisamudbhavām . tāṁ vilokya mudaṁ prāpuramarā mahiṣārditāḥ.
Then, looking at her who had sprung from the massed effulgence of all the devas, the immortals who were tormented by Mahishasura experienced great joy.
śūlaṁ śūlādviniṣkr̥ṣya dadau tasyai pinākadhr̥k . cakraṁ ca dattavān kr̥ṣṇaḥ samutpādya svacakrataḥ.
The bearer of Pinaka (Shiva) drew forth a trident from his own trident and gave it to her; and Krishna (Vishnu) brought forth a discus from his own discus and gave it to her.
śaṅkhaṁ ca varuṇaḥ śaktiṁ dadau tasyai hutāśanaḥ . māruto dattavāṁścāpaṁ bāṇapūrṇe tatheṣudhī.
Varuna gave her a conch and Agni a spear; and Vayu gave a bow as well as two quivers full of arrows.
vajramindraḥ samutpāṭya kuliśādamarādhipaḥ . dadau tasyai sahasrākṣo ghaṇṭāmairāvatādgajāt.
Indra, the lord of devas, bringing forth a thunderbolt out of his own thunderbolt and a bell from that of his elephant Airavata, gave them to her.
kāladaṇḍādyamo daṇḍaṁ pāśaṁ cāmbupatirdadau . prajāpatiścākṣamālāṁ dadau brahmā kamaṇḍalum.
Yama gave a staff from his own staff of Death and Varuna, the lord of waters, a noose; and Brahma, the lord of beings, gave a rosary and a water-pot.
samastaromakūpeṣu nijaraśmīn divākaraḥ . kālaśca dattavān khaḍgaṁ tasyāścarma ca nirmalam.
Surya bestowed his own rays on all the pores of her skin and Kala (Time) gave a spotless sword and a shield.
kṣīrodaścāmalaṁ hāramajare ca tathāmbare . cūḍāmaṇiṁ tathā divyaṁ kuṇḍale kaṭakāni ca.
The milky ocean gave a pure necklace, two undecaying garments, a divine crest-jewel, a pair of earrings, bracelets,
ardhacandraṁ tathā śubhraṁ keyūrān sarvabāhuṣu . nūpurau vimalau tadvad graiveyakamanuttamam.
a brilliant half-moon ornament, armlets on all her arms, a pair of shining anklets, a unique necklace,
aṅgulīyakaratnāni samastāsvaṅgulīṣu ca . viśvakarmā dadau tasyai paraśuṁ cātinirmalam.
and excellent rings on all her fingers. Visvakarman gave her a very brilliant axe,
astrāṇyanekarūpāṇi tathābhedyaṁ ca daṁśanam . amlānapaṅkajāṁ mālāṁ śirasyurasi cāparām.
weapons of various forms and also an impenetrable armour. The ocean gave her a garland of unfading lotuses for her head and another for her breast,
adadajjaladhistasyai paṅkajaṁ cātiśobhanam . himavān vāhanaṁ siṁhaṁ ratnāni vividhāni ca.
and a very beautiful lotus in her hand. The mountain Himavat gave her a lion to ride on and various jewels.
dadāvaśūnyaṁ surayā pānapātraṁ dhanādhipaḥ . śeṣaśca sarvanāgeśo mahāmaṇivibhūṣitam.
The lord of wealth gave her a drinking cup, ever full of wine. And Sesha, the lord of all serpents, gave her a necklace adorned with large gems.
nāgahāraṁ dadau tasyai dhatte yaḥ pr̥thivīmimām . anyairapi surairdevī bhūṣaṇairāyudhaistathā.
He who supports this earth gave her a serpent-necklace. Honoured likewise by other gods also with ornaments and weapons,
sammānitā nanādoccaiḥ sāṭṭahāsaṁ muhurmuhuḥ . tasyā nādena ghoreṇa kr̥tsnamāpūritaṁ nabhaḥ.
she gave out a loud roar with a defying laugh again and again. By her unending, exceedingly great, terrible roar the entire sky was filled.
amāyatātimahatā pratiśabdo mahānabhūt . cukṣubhuḥ sakalā lokāḥ samudrāśca cakampire.
There arose a great echo. All the worlds shook, and the oceans trembled.
cacāla vasudhā celuḥ sakalāśca mahīdharāḥ . jayeti devāśca mudā tāmūcuḥ siṁhavāhinīm.
The earth quaked and all the mountains rocked. And the gods in joy exclaimed, 'Victory!' to her, the lion-riding Devi.
tuṣṭuvurmunayaścaināṁ bhaktinamrātmamūrtayaḥ . dr̥ṣṭvā samastaṁ saṅkṣubdhaṁ trailokyamamarārayaḥ.
The sages, who bowed their bodies in devotion, extolled her. Seeing the three worlds agitated, the enemies of the gods,
sannaddhākhilasainyāste samuttasthurudāyudhāḥ . āḥ kimetaditi krodhādābhāṣya mahiṣāsuraḥ.
mobilised all their armies and rose up together with uplifted weapons. Mahishasura, exclaiming in wrath, 'Ah! What is this?'
abhyadhāvata taṁ śabdamaśeṣairasurairvr̥taḥ . sa dadarśa tato devīṁ vyāptalokatrayāṁ tviṣā.
rushed towards that roar, surrounded by innumerable asuras. Then he saw the Devi pervading the three worlds with her radiance.
pādākrāntyā natabhuvaṁ kirīṭollikhitāmbarām . kṣobhitāśeṣapātālāṁ dhanurjyāniḥsvanena tām.
Making the earth bend low under her footsteps, scraping the sky with her diadem, shaking the nether worlds with the twang of her bowstring,
diśo bhujasahasreṇa samantād vyāpya saṁsthitām . tataḥ pravavr̥te yuddhaṁ tayā devyā suradviṣām.
and standing there filling all the quarters around with her thousand arms. Then began a battle between that Devi and the enemies of the gods,
śastrāstrairbahudhā muktairādīpitadigantaram . mahiṣāsurasenānīścikṣurākhyo mahāsuraḥ.
in which every direction of the sky was illumined by the weapons and missiles hurled in abundance. Mahishasura's general, a great asura named Ciksura...
yuyudhe cāmaraścānyaiścaturaṅgabalānvitaḥ . rathānāmayutaiḥ ṣaḍbhirudagrākhyo mahāsuraḥ.
Chamara fought with forces drawn from all the four parts of the army. The great asura Udagra fought with sixty thousand chariots.
ayudhyatāyutānāṁ ca sahasreṇa mahāhanuḥ . pañcāśadbhiśca niyutairasilomā mahāsuraḥ.
Mahahanu fought with ten millions of chariots, and the great asura Asiloman with fifteen millions.
ayutānāṁ śataiḥ ṣaḍbhirbāṣkalo yuyudhe raṇe . gajavājisahasraughairanekaiḥ parivāritaḥ.
Baskala fought in the battle with six millions of chariots, surrounded by thousands of elephants and horses.
vr̥to rathānāṁ koṭyā ca yuddhe tasminnayudhyata . biḍālākhyo'yutānāṁ ca pañcāśadbhirathāyutaiḥ.
Surrounded by a crore of chariots, he fought in that battle. And the asura named Vidala, with fifty myriads of chariots,
yuyudhe saṁyuge tatra rathānāṁ parivāritaḥ . anye ca tatrāyutaśo rathanāgahayairvr̥tāḥ.
fought in that battle, surrounded by chariots. And other great asuras, surrounded by thousands of chariots, elephants and horses,
yuyudhuḥ saṁyuge devyā saha tatra mahāsurāḥ . koṭikoṭisahasraistu rathānāṁ dantināṁ tathā.
fought with the Devi in that battle. Mahishasura was surrounded by thousands of crores of chariots and elephants,
hayānāṁ ca vr̥to yuddhe tatrābhūnmahiṣāsuraḥ . tomarairbhindipālaiśca śaktibhirmusalaistathā.
and horses in that battle. They fought with iron maces, javelins, spears, and clubs,
yuyudhuḥ saṁyuge devyā khaḍgaiḥ paraśupaṭṭiśaiḥ . kecicca cikṣipuḥ śaktīḥ kecitpāśāṁstathāpare.
and with swords, axes, and halberds against the Devi. Some hurled spears and others nooses.
devīṁ khaḍgaprahāraistu te tāṁ hantuṁ pracakramuḥ . sāpi devī tatastāni śastrāṇyastrāṇi caṇḍikā.
They began to strike the Devi with swords in order to kill her. And the Devi Chandika, showering her own weapons and arms,
līlayaiva praciccheda nijaśastrāstravarṣiṇī . anāyastānanā devī stūyamānā surarṣibhiḥ.
playfully cut into pieces all those weapons and arms. The Devi, whose face showed no fatigue, was praised by gods and sages.
mumocāsuradeheṣu śastrāṇyastrāṇi ceśvarī . so'pi kruddho dhutasaṭo devyā vāhanakesarī.
The Devi threw her weapons and arms on the bodies of the asuras. The lion, the mount of the Devi, shaking its mane in anger,
cacārāsurasainyeṣu vaneṣviva hutāśanaḥ . niḥśvāsān mumuce yāṁśca yudhyamānā raṇe'mbikā.
stalked among the armies of the asuras like a fire in a forest. The sighs which Ambika heaved while engaged in the battle,
ta eva sadyaḥ sambhūtā gaṇāḥ śatasahasraśaḥ . yuyudhuste paraśubhirbhindipālāsipaṭṭiśaiḥ.
became at once myriads of battalions. They fought with axes, javelins, swords and halberds.
nāśayanto'suragaṇān devīśaktyupabr̥ṁhitāḥ . avādayanta paṭahān gaṇāḥ śaṅkhāṁstathāpare.
Destroying the asuras, these battalions, energized by the power of the Devi, beat tom-toms and others blew conches.
mr̥daṅgāṁśca tathaivānye tasmin yuddhamahotsave . tato devī triśūlena gadayā śaktivr̥ṣṭibhiḥ.
And others beat tabors in that great festival of battle. Then the Devi, with her trident, club, and showers of spears,
khaḍgādibhiśca śataśo nijaghāna mahāsurān . pātayāmāsa caivānyān ghaṇṭāsvanavimohitān.
and swords, killed hundreds of great asuras. She brought down others who were stupefied by the noise of her bell.
asurān bhuvi pāśena baddhvā cānyānakarṣayat . kecid dvidhā kr̥tāstīkṣṇaiḥ khaḍgapātaistathāpare.
Binding other asuras with her noose, she dragged them on the ground. Some were cut into two by the sharp strokes of her sword.
vipothitā nipātena gadayā bhuvi śerate . vemuśca kecidrudhiraṁ musalena bhr̥śaṁ hatāḥ.
Others, smashed by the blows of her mace, lay down on the ground. Some, severely battered by her club, vomited blood.
kecinnipatitā bhūmau bhinnāḥ śūlena vakṣasi . nirantarāḥ śaraugheṇa kr̥tāḥ kecidraṇājire.
Pierced in the breast by her trident, some fell on the ground. In the battlefield, some were completely covered by a thick shower of arrows.
śalyānukāriṇaḥ prāṇān mumucustridaśārdanāḥ . keṣāṁcid bāhavaśchinnāśchinnagrīvāstathāpare.
Resembling porcupines, those tormentors of the gods gave up their lives. The arms of some were cut off, and the necks of others were severed.
śirāṁsi peturanyeṣāmanye madhye vidāritāḥ . vicchinnajaṅghāstvapare petururvyāṁ mahāsurāḥ.
The heads of others rolled down; some others were torn asunder in the middle of their trunks, and some great asuras fell on the ground with their legs severed.
ekabāhvakṣicaraṇāḥ keciddevyā dvidhā kr̥tāḥ . chinne'pi cānye śirasi patitāḥ punarutthitāḥ.
Some rendered one-armed, one-eyed, and one-legged were again clove in twain by the Devi. And others, though rendered headless, fell and rose again.
kabandhā yuyudhurdevyā gr̥hītaparamāyudhāḥ . nanr̥tuścāpare tatra yuddhe tūryalayāśritāḥ.
Headless trunks fought with the Devi with best weapons in their hands. Some of these headless trunks danced there in the battle to the rhythm of the musical instruments.
kabandhāśchinnaśirasaḥ khaḍgaśaktyr̥ṣṭipāṇayaḥ . tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti bhāṣanto devīmanye mahāsurāḥ.
The trunks of some other great asuras, with their swords, spears and lances still in their hands, shouted at the Devi with their just severed heads, 'Stop, stop'.
pātitai rathanāgāśvairasuraiśca vasundharā . agamyā sā'bhavattatra yatrābhūt sa mahāraṇaḥ.
That part of earth where the battle was fought became impassable with the asuras, elephants and horses and chariots that had been felled.
śoṇitaughā mahānadyaḥ sadyastatra prasusruvuḥ . madhye cāsurasainyasya vāraṇāsuravājinām.
The profuse blood from the asuras, elephants and horses flowed immediately like large rivers amidst that army of the asuras.
kṣaṇena tanmahāsainyamasurāṇāṁ tathāmbikā . ninye kṣayaṁ yathā vahnistr̥ṇadārumahācayam.
As fire consumes a huge heap of straw and wood, so did Ambika destroy that vast army of asuras in no time.
sa ca siṁho mahānādamutsr̥jandhutakesaraḥ . śarīrebhyo'marārīṇāmasūniva vicinvati.
And her carrier-lion, thundering aloud with quivering mane, prowled about in the battlefield, appearing to search out the vital breaths from the bodies of the enemies of devas.
devyā gaṇaiśca taistatra kr̥taṁ yuddhaṁ mahāsuraiḥ . yathaiṣāṁ tutuṣurdevāḥ puṣpavr̥ṣṭimuco divi.
In that battlefield the battalions of the Devi fought in such a manner with the asuras that the devas in heaven, showering flowers, extolled them.