raajovaach . 1 .
The king said:
vichitramidamaakhyaatan bhagavan bhavataa mam . devyaashcharitamaahaatmyan raktabeejavadhaashritam . 2 .
O revered one, you have told me this wondrous account of the Devi's deeds and greatness, the story of how Raktabija was slain.
bhooyashchechchhaamyahan shrotun raktabeeje nipaatite . chakaar shumbho yatkarm nishumbhashchaatikopanah . 3 .
Now I wish to hear what Shumbha did after Raktabija fell, and what the wrathful Nishumbha did.
rishiruvaach . 4 .
The Rishi said:
chakaar kopamatulan raktabeeje nipaatite . shumbhaasuro nishumbhashch hateshvanyeshu chaahave . 5 .
When Raktabija had fallen and others had been slain in the battle, the asura Shumbha and Nishumbha were seized by a boundless rage.
hanyamaanan mahaasainyan vilokyaamarshamudvahan . abhyadhaavannishumbho'th mukhyayaasurasenayaa . 6 .
Seeing his great army being slain, Nishumbha, burning with fury, rushed forward with the pick of the asura host.
tasyaagratastathaa prishthe paarshvayoshch mahaasuraah . sandashtaushthaputaah kruddhaa hantun deveemupaayayuh . 7 .
Before him, behind him and at his sides came great asuras, biting their lips in anger, to slay the Devi.
aajagaam mahaaveeryah shumbho'pi svabalairvritah . nihantun chandikaan kopaat kritvaa yuddhan tu maatribhih . 8 .
Shumbha too, of great valour, came surrounded by his own forces, having fought the Mothers, to slay Chandika in his anger.
tato yuddhamateevaaseeddevyaa shumbhanishumbhayoh . sharavarshamateevogran meghayoriv varshatoh . 9 .
Then a fierce battle broke out between the Devi and Shumbha and Nishumbha, the two of them pouring out a most violent rain of arrows, like two clouds raining.
chichchhedaastaanchharaanstaabhyaan chandikaa svasharotkaraih . taadayaamaas chaangeshu shastraughairasureshvarau . 10 .
Chandika cut down the arrows those two had loosed with the storm of Her own, and struck both lords of the asuras on their limbs with a flood of weapons.
nishumbho nishitan khadgan charm chaadaay suprabham . ataadayanmoordhni sinhan devyaa vaahanamuttamam . 11 .
Nishumbha, taking up a sharp sword and a gleaming shield, struck the lion, the Devi's noble mount, on the head.
taadite vaahane devee kshuraprenaasimuttamam . nishumbhasyaashu chichchhed charm chaapyashtachandrakam . 12 .
When Her mount was struck, the Devi at once cut through Nishumbha's fine sword with a razor-edged arrow, and his shield too, with its eight moons.
chhinne charmani khadge ch shaktin chikshep so'surah . taamapyasy dvidhaa chakre chakrenaabhimukhaagataam . 13 .
His shield and sword cut down, the asura hurled a spear; and as it came at Her, She split that too in two with Her discus.
kopaadhmaato nishumbho'th shoolan jagraah daanavah . aayaatan mushtipaaten devee tachchaapyachoornayat . 14 .
Then the danava Nishumbha, swelling with rage, seized a trident; as it came, the Devi shattered that too with a blow of Her fist.
aavidhyaath gadaan so'pi chikshep chandikaan prati . saapi devyaa trishoolen bhinnaa bhasmatvamaagataa . 15 .
Then he whirled a mace and hurled it at Chandika; that too, split by the Devi's trident, was turned to ash.
tatah parashuhastan tamaayaantan daityapungavam . aahaty devee baanaughairapaatayat bhootale . 16 .
Then, as that bull among daityas came on, axe in hand, the Devi struck him with a flood of arrows and laid him on the ground.
tasminnipatite bhoomau nishumbhe bheemavikrame . bhraataryateev sankruddhah prayayau hantumambikaam . 17 .
When Nishumbha, his brother of fearsome prowess, had fallen to the ground, Shumbha, in towering rage, went forth to slay Ambika.
s rathasthastathaatyuchchairgriheetaparamaayudhaih . bhujairashtaabhiratulairvyaapyaasheshan babhau nabhah . 18 .
Standing in his chariot, with eight matchless arms raised high, each gripping a mighty weapon, he seemed to fill the whole sky.
tamaayaantan samaaloky devee shankhamavaadayat . jyaashabdan chaapi dhanushashchakaaraateev duhsaham . 19 .
Seeing him come, the Devi blew Her conch, and drew from Her bowstring a twang most hard to bear.
poorayaamaas kakubho nijaghantaasvanen ch . samastadaityasainyaanaan tejovadhavidhaayinaa . 20 .
And She filled the quarters with the ringing of Her bell, a sound that struck the spirit from every daitya army.
tatah sinho mahaanaadaistyaajitebhamahaamadaih . poorayaamaas gaganan gaan tathaiv disho dash . 21 .
Then the lion, with great roars that made the mightiest elephants lose their rut, filled the sky, the earth and the ten directions.
tatah kaalee samutpaty gaganan kshmaamataadayat . karaabhyaan tanninaaden praaksvanaaste tirohitaah . 22 .
Then Kali leapt up into the sky and struck the earth with both Her hands; at that crash, all the sounds before it were lost.
attaattahaasamashivan shivadootee chakaar h . taih shabdairasuraastresuh shumbhah kopan paran yayau . 23 .
Shivaduti laughed peal upon peal, a laughter that boded ill for the asuras; at those sounds the asuras trembled, and Shumbha flew into a towering rage.
duraatmanstishth tishtheti vyaajahaaraambikaa yadaa . tadaa jayetyabhihitan devairaakaashasansthitaih . 24 .
When Ambika called out, ‘Stand, stand, O wicked one!’, the gods standing in the sky cried, ‘Victory!’
shumbhenaagaty yaa shaktirmuktaa jvaalaatibheeshanaa . aayaantee vahnikootaabhaa saa nirastaa maholkayaa . 25 .
The spear Shumbha came and hurled, most dreadful with its flames, came on like a mountain of fire; She drove it off with a great blazing brand.
sinhanaaden shumbhasy vyaaptan lokatrayaantaram . nirghaatanihsvano ghoro jitavaanavaneepate . 26 .
Shumbha's lion-like roar filled the space of the three worlds, O king, but a crash as dreadful as a thunderclap overcame it.
shumbhamuktaanchharaan devee shumbhastatprahitaanchharaan . chichchhed svasharairugraih shatasho'th sahasrashah . 27 .
The Devi cut the arrows Shumbha loosed, and Shumbha the arrows She sent, each with fierce arrows of their own, into hundreds and thousands of pieces.
tatah saa chandikaa kruddhaa shoolenaabhijaghaan tam . s tadaabhihato bhoomau moorchchhito nipapaat h . 28 .
Then Chandika, in wrath, struck him with Her spear; wounded, he fell senseless to the ground.
tato nishumbhah sampraapy chetanaamaattakaarmukah . aajaghaan sharairdeveen kaaleen kesarinan tathaa . 29 .
Then Nishumbha, coming back to his senses, took up his bow and struck the Devi, Kali and the lion with arrows.
punashch kritvaa baahoonaamayutan danujeshvarah . chakraayudhen ditijashchhaadayaamaas chandikaam . 30 .
Again that lord of the danavas, that son of Diti, took on ten thousand arms and covered Chandika with discuses.
tato bhagavatee kruddhaa durgaa durgaartinaashinee . chichchhed taani chakraani svasharaih saayakaanshch taan . 31 .
Then Bhagavati Durga, who ends the suffering that is hard to cross, cut down those discuses and those arrows with arrows of Her own, in wrath.
tato nishumbho vegen gadaamaadaay chandikaam . abhyadhaavat vai hantun daityasenaasamaavritah . 32 .
Then Nishumbha, surrounded by the daitya army, seized a mace and rushed at Chandika to slay Her.
tasyaapatat evaashu gadaan chichchhed chandikaa . khadgen shitadhaaren s ch shoolan samaadade . 33 .
Even as he fell upon Her, Chandika swiftly cut through his mace with Her keen-edged sword, and he took up a trident.
shoolahastan samaayaantan nishumbhamamaraardanam . hridi vivyaadh shoolen vegaaviddhen chandikaa . 34 .
As Nishumbha, the tormentor of the gods, came on with the trident in his hand, Chandika pierced him through the heart with Her spear, hurled with force.
bhinnasy tasy shoolen hridayaannihsrito'parah . mahaabalo mahaaveeryastishtheti purusho vadan . 35 .
From the pierced heart came out another man, of great strength and great valour, crying, ‘Stop!’
tasy nishkraamato devee prahasy svanavattatah . shirashchichchhed khadgen tato'saavapatadbhuvi . 36 .
As he came out, the Devi laughed aloud, and with Her sword cut off his head; and he fell to the ground.
tatah sinhashchakhaadogran danshtraakshunnashirodharaan . asuraanstaanstathaa kaalee shivadootee tathaaparaan . 37 .
Then the lion fiercely devoured those asuras whose necks he had crushed in his teeth, while Kali and Shivaduti devoured others.
kaumaareeshaktinirbhinnaah kechinneshurmahaasuraah . brahmaaneemantrapooten toyenaanye niraakritaah . 38 .
Some great asuras, pierced by Kaumari's spear, perished; others were driven off by the water Brahmani had made pure with Her mantra.
maaheshvareetrishoolen bhinnaah petustathaapare . vaaraaheetundaghaaten kechichchoorneekritaa bhuvi . 39 .
Others fell, split by Maheshwari's trident; some were ground to dust on the earth by blows of Varahi's snout.
khandan khandan ch chakren vaishnavyaa daanavaah kritaah . vajren chaindreehastaagravimukten tathaa'pare . 40 .
Danavas were cut to pieces by Vaishnavi's discus, and others likewise by the thunderbolt loosed from Aindri's hand.
kechidvineshurasuraah kechinnashtaa mahaahavaat . bhakshitaashchaapare kaaleeshivadooteemrigaadhipaih . 41 .
Some asuras perished, some fled from that great battle, and others were devoured by Kali, Shivaduti and the lion.