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Devi Mahatmya / Chapter 9

Chapter 9 · Markandeya Purana canto 89

The slaying of Nisumbha

निशुम्भवधोनाम

41 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.

Artist's impression of this chapter.
Artist's impression.

Verses 1 to 10

1राजोवाच ॥

1The king spoke:

2विचित्रमिदमाख्यातं भगवन् भवता मम । देव्याश्चरितमाहात्म्यं रक्तबीजवधाश्रितम् ॥

2Wonderful is this that thou, Sir, hast related to me, the majesty of the goddess’ exploits in connexion with the slaying of Rakta-vija;

3भूयश्चेच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं रक्तबीजे निपातिते । चकार शुम्भो यत्कर्म निशुम्भश्चातिकोपनः ॥

3and I wish to hear further what deed did Sumbha do after Rakta-vija was killed, and what the very irascible Nisumbha did.

4ऋषिरुवाच ॥

4The rishi spoke:

5चकार कोपमतुलं रक्तबीजे निपातिते । शुम्भासुरो निशुम्भश्च हतेष्वन्येषु चाहवे ॥

5After Rakta-vija was slain and other demons were killed in the fight, the Asura S'umbha gave way to unbounded wrath, and Nisumbha also.

6हन्यमानं महासैन्यं विलोक्यामर्षमुद्वहन् । अभ्यधावन्निशुम्भोऽथ मुख्ययासुरसेनया ॥

6Pouring out his indignation at beholding his great army being slaughtered, Nisumbha then rushed forward with the flower of the Asura army.

7तस्याग्रतस्तथा पृष्ठे पार्श्वयोश्च महासुराः । संदष्टौष्ठपुटाः क्रुद्धा हन्तुं देवीमुपाययुः ॥

7In front of him and behind and on both sides great Asuras, biting their lips and enraged, advanced to slay the goddess.

8आजगाम महावीर्यः शुम्भोऽपि स्वबलैर्वृतः । निहन्तुं चण्डिकां कोपात्कृताव युद्धं तु मातृभिः ॥

8Sumbha also went forward, mighty in valour, surrounded with his own troops, to slay C'andika in his rage, after engaging in battle with the Mothers.

9ततो युद्धमतीवासीद्देव्या शुम्भनिशुम्भयोः । शरवर्षमतीवोग्रं मेघयोरिव वर्षतोः ॥

9Then occurred a desperate combat between the goddess and S'umbha and Nisumbha, who both, like two thunder-clouds, rained a most tempestuous shower of arrows on her.

10चिच्छेदास्ताञ्छरांस्ताभ्यां चण्डिका स्वशरोत्करैः । ताडयामास चाङ्गेषु शस्त्रौघैरसुरेश्वरौ ॥

10C'andika with multitudes of arrows quickly split the arrows shot by them, and smote the two Asura lords on their limbs with her numerous weapons.

Verses 11 to 20

11निशुम्भो निशितं खड्गं चर्म चादाय सुप्रभम् । अताडयन्मूर्ध्नि सिंहं देव्या वाहनमुत्तमम् ॥

11Nisumbha grasping a sharp scymitar and glittering shield struck the lion, the noble beast that bore the goddess, on the head. When her animal was struck,

12The Sanskrit source repeats the previous verse here.

12the goddess quickly clove Nisumbha’s superb sword with a horse-shoe-shaped arrow, and also his shield on which eight moons were pourtrayed.

13छिन्ने चर्मणि खड्गे च शक्तिं चिक्षेप सोऽसुरः । तामप्यस्य द्विधा चक्रे चक्रेणाभिमुखागताम् ॥

13When his shield was cloven and his sword too, the Asura hurled his spear; and that his missile also, as it came towards her, she split in two with her discus.

14कोपाध्मातो निशुम्भोऽथ शूलं जग्राह दानवः । आयातं मुष्टिपातेन देवी तच्चाप्यचूर्णयत् ॥

14Then Nisumbha, the Danava, puffed up with wrath, seized a dart; and that also, when it came, the goddess shattered with a blow of her fist.

15अथादाय गदां सोऽपि चिक्षेप चण्डिकां प्रति । सापि देव्या त्रिशूलेन भिन्ना भस्मत्वमागता ॥

15And then aiming his club he flung it against C'andika, yet that was shivered by the goddess’ trident and became ashes.

16ततः परशुहस्तं तमायान्त दैत्यपुङ्गवम् । आहत्य देवी बाणौघैरपातयत भूतले ॥

16As that lordly Daitya then advanced with battle-axe in hand, the goddess struck him with a multitude of arrows and laid him low on the ground.

17तस्मिन्निपतिते भूमौ निशुम्भे भीमविक्रमे । भ्रातर्यतीव संक्रुद्धः प्रययौ हन्तुमम्बिकाम् ॥

17When his brother Nisumbha, who was terrible in prowess, fell to the ground, Sumbha in utmost fury strode forward to slay Ambika.

18स रथस्थस्तथात्युच्चैर्गृहीतपरमायुधैः । भुजैरष्टाभिरतुलैर्व्याप्याशेषं बभौ नभः ॥

18And he, standing in his chariot, appeared to fill the entire sky with his eight arms, which were lifted far on high grasping his superb weapons.

19तमायान्तं समालोक्य देवी शङ्घमवादयत् । ज्याशब्दं चापि धनुषश्चकारातीव दुः सहम् ॥

19Beholding him approaching, the goddess sounded her conch, and made her bow also give forth from its string a note which was exceedingly hard to endure.

20पूरयामास ककुभो निजघण्टास्वनेन च । समस्तदैत्यसैन्यानां तेजोवधविधायिना ॥

20And she filled all regions with the clanging of her bell, which caused the vigour of all the Daitya hosts to die away.

Verses 21 to 30

21ततः सिंहो महानादैस्त्याजितेभमहामदैः । पूरयामास गगनं गां तथैव दिशो दश ॥

21Then her lion filled the heaven, the earth and the ten regions of the sky with loud roars, which checked the copious flow of

22ततः काली समुत्पत्य गगनं क्ष्मामताडयत् । कराभ्यां तन्निनादेन प्राक्स्वनास्ते तिरोहिताः ॥

22the exudation from the demons rutting elephants. Kali springing upward then struck the heaven and the earth with both her hands;

23अट्टाट्टहासमशिवं शिवदूती चकार ह । तैः शब्दैरसुरास्त्रेसुः शुम्भः कोपं परं ययौ ॥

23the boom thereof drowned those previous sounds. Siva-duti uttered a loud inauspicious laugh. At those sounds the Asuras trembled; Sumbha gave way to utmost rage.

24दुरात्मंस्तिष्ठ तिष्ठेति व्याजहाराम्बिका यदा । तदा जयेत्यभिहितं देवैराकाशसंस्थितैः ॥

24When Ambika cried out “Stand, O evil-souled! stand!” the gods who had taken their stations in the air then called to her, “Be thou victorious!”

25शुम्भेनागत्य या शक्तिर्मुक्ता ज्वालातिभीषणा । आयान्ती वह्निकूटाभा सा निरस्ता महोल्कया ॥

25The spear flaming most terribly, which S'umbha approaching hurled, that, gleaming like a mass of fire as it came along, was driven aside by a great fire-brand.

26सिंहनादेन शुम्भस्य व्याप्तं लोकत्रयान्तरम् । निर्घातनिः स्वनो घोरो जितवानवनीपते ॥

26The vault between the three worlds reverberated with S'umbha’s lion-like roaring, but the dreadful sound of the slaughter among his soldiers surpassed that, O king.

27शुम्भमुक्ताञ्छरान्देवी शुम्भस्तत्प्रहिताञ्छरान् । चिच्छेद स्वशरैरुग्रैः शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः ॥

27The goddess split the arrows shot by S'umbha, and Sumbha the arrows that she discharged, each with her and his sharp arrows in hundreds and thousands.

28ततः सा चण्डिका क्रुद्धा शूलेनाभिजघान तम् । स तदाभिहतो भूमौ मूर्च्छितो निपपात ह ॥

28C'andika enraged thereat smote him with a dart. Wounded therewith he fell in a faint to the ground.

29ततो निशुम्भः सम्प्राप्य चेतनामात्तकार्मुकः । आजघान शरैर्देवीं कालीं केसरिणं तथा ॥

29Thereupon Nisumbha, regaining consciousness, seized his bow again and struck the goddess, and Kali and the lion with arrows.

30पुनश्च कृत्वा बाहूनामयुतं दनुजेश्वरः । चक्रायुधेन दितिजश्छादयामास चण्डिकाम् ॥

30And the Danava lord, that son of Diti, putting forth a myriad arms, again covered C'andika with a myriad discuses.

Verses 31 to 40

31ततो भगवती क्रुद्धा दुर्गा दुर्गार्तिनाशिनी । चिच्छेद तानि चक्राणि स्वशरैः सायकांश्च तान् ॥

31The goddess then enraged, she, Durga who destroys the afflictions of adversity, split those discuses and those arrows with her own arrows.

32ततो निशुम्भो वेगेन गदामादाय चण्डिकाम् । अभ्यधावत वै हन्तुं दैत्यसेनासमावृतः ॥

32Then Nisumbha seizing his club rushed impetuously at C'andika to slay her outright, with the Daitya host surrounding him.

33तस्यापतत एवाशु गदां चिच्छेद चण्डिका । खड्गेन शितधारेण स च शूलं समाददे ॥

33As he was just falling upon her, C'andika swiftly clove his club with her sharp-edged scymitar. And he took hold of a dart.

34शूलहस्तं समायान्तं निशुम्भममरार्दनम् । हृदि विव्याध शूलेन वेगाविद्धेन चण्डिका ॥

34C'andika with a dart hurled swiftly pierced Nisumbha, the afflicter of the Immortals, in the heart, as he approached with dart in hand.

35भिन्नस्य तस्य शूलेन हृदयान्निः सृतोऽपरः । महाबलो महावीर्यस्तिष्ठेति पुरुषो वदन् ॥

35When he was pierced by the dart, out of his heart issued another man of great strength and great valour, exclaiming ‘““Stand!”

36तस्य निष्क्रामतो देवी प्रहस्य स्वनवत्ततः । शिरश्चिच्छेद खड्गेन ततोऽसावपतद् भुवि ॥

36When he stepped forth, the goddess laughing aloud then struck off his head with her scymitar; thereupon he fell to the ground.

37ततः सिंहश्चखादोग्रं दंष्ट्राक्षुण्णशिरोधरान् । असुरांस्तांस्तथा काली शिवदूती तथापरान् ॥

37The lion then devoured those Asuras whose necks he had crushed with his savage teeth, and Kali and S'iva-duti devoured the others. Some great Asuras perished,

38कौमारीशक्तिनिर्भिन्नाः केचिन्नेशुर्महासुराः । ब्रह्माणीमन्त्रपूतेन तोयेनान्ये निराकृताः ॥

38being pierced through by the spear held by Kumara’s Energy; others were driven back by the water purified by the spell uttered by Brahma’s Energy;

39माहेश्वरीत्रिशूलेन भिन्नाः पेतुस्तथापरे । वाराहीतुण्डघातेन केचिच्चूर्णोकृता भुवि ॥

39and others fell, pierced by the trident wielded by Siva’s Energy; some were pounded to dust on the ground by blows from the snout of Varaha’s Energy;

40खण्डं खण्डं च चक्रेण वैष्णव्या दानवाः कृताः । वज्रेण चैन्द्रीहस्ताग्रविमुक्तेन तथापरे ॥

40some Danavas were out to pieces by the discus hurled by Vishnu’s Energy; and others again by the thunder-bolt discharged from the fingers of Indra’s Energy.

Verses 41 to 41

41केचिद्विनेशुरसुराः केचिन्नष्टा महाहवात् । भक्षिताश्चापरे कालीशिवदूतीमृगाधिपैः ॥

41Some Asuras perished outright, some perished by reason of the great battle, and others were devoured by Kali, Siva-duti and the lion.

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