ऋषिरुवाच ॥
१ ॥
The Rishi said:
आज्ञप्तास्ते ततो दैत्याश्चण्डमुण्डपुरोगमाः ।
चतुरङ्गबलोपेता ययुरभ्युद्यतायुधाः ॥
२ ॥
Then, at Shumbha's command, the daityas set out with Chanda and Munda at their head, their fourfold army behind them and their weapons raised.
ददृशुस्ते ततो देवीमीषद्धासां व्यवस्थिताम् ।
सिंहस्योपरि शैलेन्द्रशृङ्गे महति काञ्चने ॥
३ ॥
There they saw the Devi, gently smiling, seated upon Her lion on a great golden peak of the king of mountains.
ते दृष्ट्वा तां समादातुमुद्यमं चक्रुरुद्यताः ।
आकृष्टचापासिधरास्तथान्ये तत्समीपगाः ॥
४ ॥
Seeing Her, they made ready and strove to seize Her; others, with bows drawn and swords in hand, closed in around Her.
ततः कोपं चकारोच्चैरम्बिका तानरीन् प्रति ।
कोपेन चास्या वदनं मषीवर्णमभूत्तदा ॥
५ ॥
Then Ambika's anger rose high against those enemies, and in Her wrath Her face grew dark as ink.
भ्रुकुटीकुटिलात्तस्या ललाटफलकाद्द्रुतम् ।
काली करालवदना विनिष्क्रान्तासिपाशिनी ॥
६ ॥
From Her forehead, knit in a frown, there sprang at once Kali, fearsome of face, bearing a sword and a noose.
विचित्रखट्वाङ्गधरा नरमालाविभूषणा ।
द्वीपिचर्मपरीधाना शुष्कमांसातिभैरवा ॥
७ ॥
She carried a strange skull-topped staff and wore a garland of human heads; She was clad in a leopard's skin, and with Her flesh wasted away She was most terrible to see.
अतिविस्तारवदना जिह्वाललनभीषणा ।
निमग्नारक्तनयना नादापूरितदिङ्मुखा ॥
८ ॥
Her mouth gaped wide, Her lolling tongue struck terror, Her eyes were sunken and reddish, and Her roar filled every quarter of the sky.
सा वेगेनाभिपतिता घातयन्ती महासुरान् ।
सैन्ये तत्र सुरारीणामभक्षयत तद्बलम् ॥
९ ॥
Swiftly She fell upon them, striking down the great asuras, and there, among the hosts of the enemies of the gods, She devoured that army.
पार्ष्णिग्राहाङ्कुशग्राहियोधघण्टासमन्वितान् ।
समादायैकहस्तेन मुखे चिक्षेप वारणान् ॥
१० ॥
Seizing elephants in one hand, with their rear-guards, their drivers bearing goads, their warriors and their bells, She flung them into Her mouth.
तथैव योधं तुरगै रथं सारथिना सह ।
निक्षिप्य वक्त्रे दशनैश्चर्वयन्त्यतिभैरवम् ॥
११ ॥
In the same way She put warriors with their horses, and chariots with their charioteers, into Her mouth, and ground them most terribly with Her teeth.
एकं जग्राह केशेषु ग्रीवायामथ चापरम् ।
पादेनाक्रम्य चैवान्यमुरसान्यमपोथयत् ॥
१२ ॥
One She seized by the hair and another by the neck; one She trampled underfoot, and another She crushed against Her breast.
तैर्मुक्तानि च शस्त्राणि महास्त्राणि तथासुरैः ।
मुखेन जग्राह रुषा दशनैर्मथितान्यपि ॥
१३ ॥
The weapons and the great missiles the asuras loosed at Her, She caught in Her mouth in fury and ground to pieces with Her teeth.
बलिनां तद्बलं सर्वमसुराणां दुरात्मनाम् ।
ममर्दाभक्षयच्चान्यानन्यांश्चाताडयत्तथा ॥
१४ ॥
All that army of mighty and wicked asuras She crushed; some She devoured, and others She struck down.
असिना निहताः केचित्केचित्खट्वाङ्गताडिताः ।
जग्मुर्विनाशमसुरा दन्ताग्राभिहतास्तथा ॥
१५ ॥
Some asuras were slain by Her sword, some beaten down with Her skull-topped staff, and others met their end torn by the points of Her teeth.
क्षणेन तद्बलं सर्वमसुराणां निपातितम् ।
दृष्ट्वा चण्डोऽभिदुद्राव तां कालीमतिभीषणाम् ॥
१६ ॥
Seeing that whole army of asuras laid low in a moment, Chanda rushed at Kali, so dreadful to behold.
शरवर्षैर्महाभीमैर्भीमाक्षीं तां महासुरः ।
छादयामास चक्रैश्च मुण्डः क्षिप्तैः सहस्रशः ॥
१७ ॥
Chanda, that great asura, covered Her of the fearsome eyes with a most dreadful rain of arrows, and Munda covered Her with discs hurled in their thousands.
तानि चक्राण्यनेकानि विशमानानि तन्मुखम् ।
बभुर्यथार्कबिम्बानि सुबहूनि घनोदरम् ॥
१८ ॥
Those many discs, vanishing into Her mouth, shone like a host of suns sinking into the heart of a cloud.
ततो जहासातिरुषा भीमं भैरवनादिनी ।
काली करालवक्त्रान्तर्दुर्दर्शदशनोज्ज्वला ॥
१९ ॥
Then Kali, roaring terribly, laughed a dreadful laugh in Her great fury, blazing with the fearsome teeth within Her gaping mouth.
उत्थाय च महासिंहं देवी चण्डमधावत ।
गृहीत्वा चास्य केशेषु शिरस्तेनासिनाच्छिनत् ॥
२० ॥
Then the Devi rose upon the great lion and rushed at Chanda; seizing him by the hair, She cut off his head with that sword.
अथ मुण्डोऽभ्यधावत्तां दृष्ट्वा चण्डं निपातितम् ।
तमप्यपातयद्भूमौ सा खड्गाभिहतं रुषा ॥
२१ ॥
Seeing Chanda fallen, Munda ran at Her; and in Her fury She struck him too with Her sword and laid him on the ground.
हतशेषं ततः सैन्यं दृष्ट्वा चण्डं निपातितम् ।
मुण्डं च सुमहावीर्यं दिशो भेजे भयातुरम् ॥
२२ ॥
Seeing Chanda fallen, and Munda of great valour too, what was left of the army fled in every direction, stricken with fear.
शिरश्चण्डस्य काली च गृहीत्वा मुण्डमेव च ।
प्राह प्रचण्डाट्टहासमिश्रमभ्येत्य चण्डिकाम् ॥
२३ ॥
Then Kali, taking the heads of Chanda and Munda, came to Chandika and spoke, Her words mingled with fierce, ringing laughter:
मया तवात्रोपहृतौ चण्डमुण्डौ महापशू ।
युद्धयज्ञे स्वयं शुम्भं निशुम्भं च हनिष्यसि ॥
२४ ॥
‘Here I have brought You Chanda and Munda, two great beasts for the offering. In the sacrifice of battle You Yourself shall slay Shumbha and Nishumbha.’
ऋषिरुवाच ॥
२५ ॥
The Rishi said:
तावानीतौ ततो दृष्ट्वा चण्डमुण्डौ महासुरौ ।
उवाच कालीं कल्याणी ललितं चण्डिका वचः ॥
२६ ॥
Seeing the great asuras Chanda and Munda brought before Her, Chandika, who brings all good, spoke these gentle words to Kali:
यस्माच्चण्डं च मुण्डं च गृहीत्वा त्वमुपागता ।
चामुण्डेति ततो लोके ख्याता देवि भविष्यसि ॥
२७ ॥
‘Because You have come to Me bringing Chanda and Munda, O Devi, You shall be known in the world as Chamunda.’