Devi Mahatmya / Chapter 3
Chapter 3 · Markandeya Purana canto 83
The slaying of the Asura Mahisha
महिषासुरवधो नाम
44 verses.
Verses follow the standard 700-verse numbering of the Durga Saptashati. Pargiter numbered the Purana differently, so his English was matched to each Sanskrit verse by its content; at a few joins a word or two may sit with the neighbouring verse. Lines found only in some printed editions are marked.
Verses 1 to 10
1ऋषिरुवाच ॥
1The rishi spoke:
2निहन्यमानं तत्सैन्यमवलोक्य महासुरः । सेनानीश्चिक्षुरः कोपाद्ययौ योद्धुमथाम्बिकाम् ॥
2Now the great Asura, the general C'ikshura, seeing that army being slaughtered, advanced in wrath to fight with Ambika.
3स देवीं शरवर्षेण ववर्ष समरेऽसुरः । यथा मेरुगिरेः शृङ्गं तोयवर्षेण तोयदः ॥
3The Asura rained a shower of arrows on the goddess in the battle, as a cloud deluges mount Meru’s summit with a shower of rain.
4तस्य च्छित्त्वा ततो देवी लीलयैव शरोत्करान् । जघान तुरगान् बाणैर्यन्तारं चैव वाजिनाम् ॥
4The goddess, cutting asunder the masses of his arrows then as it were in play, smote his horses with her arrows and their charioteer;
5चिच्छेद च धनुः सद्यो ध्वजं चातिसमुच्छ्रितम् । विव्याध चैव गात्रेषु च्छिन्नधन्वानमाशुगैः ॥
5and split his bow forthwith and his banner raised high aloft; and with swift missiles pierced his limbs as he stood with shattered bow.
6स च्छिन्नधन्वा विरथो हताश्वो हतसारथिः । अभ्यधावत तां देवीं खड्ग-चर्मधरोऽसुरः ॥
6His bow shattered, his chariot useless, his horses killed, his charioteer slain, the Asura armed with sword and shield rushed at the goddess.
7सिंहमाहत्य खड्गेन तीक्ष्णधारेण मूर्धनि । आजघान भुजे सव्ये देवीमप्यतिवेगवान् ॥
7With the utmost celerity he smote the lion on the head with his sharp-edged sword, and struck the goddess also on her left arm.
8तस्याः खड्गो भुजं प्राप्य पफाल नृपनन्दन । ततो जग्राह शूलं स कोपादरुणलोचनः ॥
8His sword shivered to pieces as it touched her arm (O prince). Thereon red-eyed with anger, he grasped his pike, and he,
9चिक्षेप च ततस्तत्तु भद्रकाल्यां महासुरः । जाज्वल्यमानं तेजोभी रविबिम्बमिवाम्बरात् ॥
9the great Asura, flung it at Bhadra-kali, as it were the Sun’s orb blazing brightly with its splendour from out the sky.
10दृष्ट्वा तदापतच्छूलं देवी शूलममुञ्चत । तच्छूलं शतधा तेन नीतं स च महासुरः ॥
10Seeing that pike falling on her, the goddess hurled her pike, and it shattered that pike into a hundred fragments and the great Asura also.
Verses 11 to 20
11हते तस्मिन् महावीर्ये महिषस्य चमूपतौ । आजगाम गजारूढश्चामरस्त्रिदशार्दनः ॥
11When he, Mahisha’s very valiant general, was slain, C'amara, the afflicter of the thirty gods, advanced mounted on an elephant;
12सोऽपि शक्तिं मुमोचाथ देव्यास्तामम्बिका द्रुतम् । हुङ्काराभिहतां भूमौ पातयामास निष्प्रभाम् ॥
12and he also hurled his spear at the goddess. Down to the ground Ambika quickly struck it, assailed with a contemptuous hoot and rendered lustre-less.
13भग्नां शक्तिं निपतितां दृष्ट्वा क्रोधसमन्वितः । चिक्षेप चामरः शूलं बाणैस्तदपि साच्छिनत् ॥
13Seeing his spear broken and fallen, C'amara filled with rage flung a pike; and that she split with her arrows.
14ततः सिंहः समुत्पत्य गजकुम्भान्तरे स्थितः । बाहुयुद्धेन युयुधे तेनोच्चैस्त्रिदशारिणा ॥
14Then the lion leaping up fastened on to the hollow of the elephant’s forehead, and fought in close combat aloft with that foe of the thirty gods;
15युधायमानो ततस्तौ तु तस्मान्नागान्महीं गतौ । युयुधातेऽतिसंरब्धौ प्रहारैरतिदारुणैः ॥
15but both then fell, as they were fighting, from the elephant to the ground. They fought closely locked together with most terrible blows.
16ततो वेगात्खमुत्पत्य निपत्य च मृगारिणा । करप्रहारेण शिरश्चामरस्य पृथक्कृतम् ॥
16Then quickly springing up to the sky, and descending, the lion severed C'amara's head with a blow from his paw.
17उदग्रश्च रणे देव्या शिलावृक्षादिभिर्हतः । दन्तमुष्टितलैश्चैव करालश्च निपातितः ॥
17And Udagra was slain in battle by the goddess with stones, trees and other things, and Kara la also was stricken down by her teeth and fists and feet.
18देवी क्रुद्धा गदापातैश्चूर्णयामास चोद्धतम् । वाष्कलं भिन्दिपालेन बाणैस्ताम्रं तथान्धकम् ॥
18And the goddess enraged ground Ud-dhata to powder with blows from her club; and killed Vaskala with a dart, Tamra and Andhaka with arrows.
19उग्रास्यमुग्रवीर्यञ्च तथैव च महाहनुम् । त्रिनेत्रा च त्रिशूलेन जघान परमेश्वरी ॥
19And the supreme three-eyed goddess slew Ugrasya and Ugra-virya and Maha-hanu also with her trident.
20बिडालस्यासिना कायात् पातयामास वै शिरः । दुर्धरं दुर्मुखं चोभौ शरैर्निन्ये यमक्षयम् ॥
20With her sword she struck Vidala’s head clean down from his body. She despatched both Dur-dhara and Dur-mukha to Yama’s abode with her arrows.
Verses 20a to 28
20aकालं च कालदण्डेन कालरात्रिरपातयत् ॥
20aA line found in some editions; Pargiter does not translate it.
20bअग्रदर्शनमत्युग्रैः खड्गपातैरताडयत् । असिनैवासिलोमानमच्छिदत् सा रणोत्सवे । गणैः सिंहेन देव्या च जयक्ष्वेडाकृतोत्सवैः ॥
20bA line found in some editions; Pargiter does not translate it.
21एवं संक्षीयमाणे तु स्वसैन्ये महिषासुरः । माहिषेण स्वरूपेण त्रासयामास तान् गणान् ॥
21Now, as his army was beiug thus destroyed utterly, the Asura Mahisha in his own buffalo-shape terrified her troops, Some he laid low by a blow from his muzzle,
22कांश्चित्तुण्डप्रिहारेण खुरक्षेपैस्तथापरान् । लाङ्गूलताडितांश्चान्यान् शृङ्गाभ्याञ्च विदारितान् ॥
22and others by stamping with his hooves, and others because they were lashed with his tail and gashed with his horns,
23वेगेन कांश्चिदपरान् नादेन भ्रमणेन च । निश्वासपवनेनान्यान् पातयामास भूतले ॥
23and others again by his impetuous rush, his bellowing and his wheeling career, and others by the blast of his breath—thus he laid them low on the face of the earth.
24निपात्य प्रमथानीकमभ्यधावत सोऽसुरः । सिंहं हन्तुं महादेव्याः कोपं चक्रे ततोऽम्बिका ॥
24Having laid low the van of her army, the Asura rushed to attack the great goddess’ lion. Thereat Ambika displayed her wrath.
25सोऽपि कोपान्महावीर्यः खुरक्षुण्णमहीतलः । शृङ्गाभ्यां पर्वतानुच्चैश्चिक्षेप च ननाद च ॥
25And he, great in valour, pounding the surface of the earth with his hooves in his rage, tossed the mountains aloft with his horns and bellowed.
26वेगभ्रमणविक्षुण्णा मही तस्य व्यशीर्यत । लाङ्गूलेनाहतश्चाब्धिः प्लावयामास सर्वतः ॥
26Crushed by his impetuous wheelings the earth crumbled to pieces; and the sea lashed by his tail overflowed in every direction;
27धुतशृङ्गविभिन्नाश्च खण्डं खण्डं ययुर्घना । श्वासानिलास्ताः शतशो निपेतुर्नभसोऽचलाः ॥
27and the clouds pierced by his swaying horns were rent to fragments; mountains fell in hundreds from the sky, being cast down by the blast of his breath.
28इति क्रोधसमाध्मातमापतान्तं महासुरम् । दृष्ट्वा सा चण्डिका कोपं तद्वधाय तदाकरोत् ॥
28C'andika looked on the great Asura, as swollen with rage he rushed on, and gave a way to her wrath then in order to slay him.
Verses 29 to 38
29सा क्षिप्त्वा तस्य वै पाशं तं बबन्ध महासुरम् । तत्याज माहिषं रूपं सोऽपि बद्धो महामृधे ॥
29She flung her noose full over him, and bound the great Asura fast. And he quitted his buffalo shape when held bound in the great battle,
30ततः सिंहोऽभवत् सद्यो यावत्तस्याम्बिका शिरः । छिनत्ति तावत्पुरुषः खड्गपाणिरदृश्यत ॥
30and then became a lion suddenly. While Ambika is cutting off his head he took the appearance of a man with scymitar in hand.
31तत एवाशु पुरुषं देवी चिच्छेद सायकैः । तं खड्गचर्मणा सार्धं ततः सोऽभून्महागजः ॥
31Straightway the goddess with her arrows swiftly pierced the man together with his scymitar and shield. Then he became a huge elephant, and
32करेण च महासिंहं तं चकर्ष जगर्ज च । कर्षतस्तु करं देवी खड्गेन निरकृन्तत ॥
32tugged at her great lion with his trunk and roared, but the goddess cut off his trunk with her sword as he made his tugs.
33ततो महासुरो भूयो माहिषं वपुरास्थितः । तथैव क्षोभयामास त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम् ॥
33Next the great Asura assumed his buffalo shape again, and so shook the three worlds with all that is moveable and immoveable therein.
34ततः क्रुद्धा जगन्माता चण्डिका पानमुत्तमम् । पपौ पुनः पुनश्चैव जहासारुणलोचना ॥
34Enraged thereat C'andika, the mother of the world, quaffed a sublime beverage again and again, and laughed as her eyes gleamed ruddy.
35ननर्द चासुरः सोऽपि बलवीर्यमदोद्धतः । विषाणाब्याञ्च चिक्षेप चण्डिकां प्रति भूधरान् ॥
35And the Asura roared out, puffed up with his strength and valour and frenzy, and hurled mountains against C'andika with his horns.
36सा च तान् प्रहितांस्तेन चूर्णयन्ती शरोत्करैः । उवाच तं मदोद्धूतमुखरागाकुलाक्षरम् ॥
36And she, shivering to atoms with showers of arrows those mountains that he hurled, spoke to him in confused words, while her mouth was rendered ruddier by the mead that she had drunk.
37देव्युवाच ॥
37The goddess spoke:
38गर्ज गर्ज क्षणं मूढ मधु यावत्पिबाम्यहम् । मया त्वयि हतेऽत्रैव गर्जिष्यन्त्याशु देवताः ॥
38Roar, roar on thy brief moment, O fool, the while I quaff this mead! The gods shall soon roar, when I shall slay thee even here.
Verses 39 to 44
39ऋषिरुवाच ॥
39Pargiter gives no separate English for this line.
40एवमुक्त्वा समुत्पत्य सारूढा तं महासुरम् । पादेनाक्रम्य कण्ठे च शूलेनैनमताडयत् ॥
40Exclaiming thus she leaped upwards and sat herself on that great Asura, and kicked him on the neck with her foot and struck him with her spear.
41ततः सोऽपि पदाक्रान्तस्तया निजमुखात्ततः । अर्धनिष्क्रान्त एवासीद् देव्या वीर्येण संवृतः ॥
41And thereupon he, being assailed by her foot, half issued forth from his own mouth in sooth, being completely encompassed by the goddess’ valour.
42अर्धनिष्क्रान्त एवासौ युध्यमानो महासुरः । तया महासिना देव्या शिरश्छित्त्वा निपातितः ॥
42That great Asura being thus attacked half issued forth indeed. The goddess struck off his head with her great sword and laid him low.
42aएवं स महिषो नाम ससैन्यः ससुहृद्गणः । त्रैलोक्यं मोहयित्वा तु तया देव्या विनाशितः ॥
42aA line found in some editions; Pargiter does not translate it.
42bत्रैलोक्यस्थैस्तदा भूतैर्महिषे विनिपातिते । जयेत्युक्तं ततः सर्वैः सदेवासुरमानवैः ॥
42bA line found in some editions; Pargiter does not translate it.
43ततो हाहाकृतं सर्वं दैत्यसैन्यं ननाश तत् । प्रहर्षञ्च परं जग्मुः सकला देवतागणाः ॥
43Then perished all that Daitya army with great lamentation. And all the hosts of the gods rose to the highest exultation.
44तुष्टुवुस्तां सुरा देवीं सह दिव्यैर्महर्षिभिः । जगुर्गन्धर्वपतयो ननृतुश्चाप्सरोगणाः ॥
44The gods and the great heavenly rishis poured forth praises to the goddess, the Gandharva chiefs burst into song and the bevies of Apsarases into dances.
- Sanskrit: मार्कण्डेयपुराणम्, अध्यायाः ८१-९३ (देवीमाहात्म्यम्), Sanskrit Wikisource ↗, by Sanskrit Wikisource contributors, used under CC BY-SA 4.0; the Sanskrit on this page is shared under the same licence. Not proofread against a printed edition.
- English: The Markandeya Purana, translated with notes by F. Eden Pargiter (Bibliotheca Indica, Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta, 1904), cantos LXXXI to XCIII ↗. Public domain (published 1904; the translator died in 1927). Text taken from archive.org OCR of five scans of the printed book, compared word by word. Pargiter's wording is kept as printed; his footnotes are omitted.