Durga Saptashati Chapter 6 – Slaying of Dhumralochana

Durga Saptashati is a Hindu religious text describing the victory of the goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura. Durga Saptashati is also known as the Devi Mahatmyam, Chandi Patha (चण्डीपाठः) and contains 700 verses, arranged into 13 chapters.

The sixth chapter of Durga Saptashati is based on “the slaying of Dhumralochana”.

Durga Saptashati Chapter 6 – The Slaying Of Dhumralochana

॥ध्यानम्॥

ॐ नागाधीश्वरविष्टरां फणिफणोत्तंसोरुरत्नावली-
भास्वद्देहलतां दिवाकरनिभां नेत्रत्रयोद्भासिताम्।
मालाकुम्भकपालनीरजकरां चन्द्रार्धचूडां परां
सर्वज्ञेश्वरभैरवाङ्कनिलयां पद्मावतीं चिन्तये॥

“ॐ” ऋषिरुवाच॥१॥

इत्याकर्ण्य वचो देव्याः स दूतोऽमर्षपूरितः।
समाचष्ट समागम्य दैत्यराजाय विस्तरात्॥२॥

तस्य दूतस्य तद्वाक्यमाकर्ण्यासुरराट् ततः।
सक्रोधः प्राह दैत्यानामधिपं धूम्रलोचनम्॥३॥

हे धूम्रलोचनाशु त्वं स्वसैन्यपरिवारितः।
तामानय बलाद् दुष्टां केशाकर्षणविह्वलाम्॥४॥

तत्परित्राणदः कश्चिद्यदि वोत्तिष्ठतेऽपरः।
स हन्तव्योऽमरो वापि यक्षो गन्धर्व एव वा॥५॥

ऋषिरुवाच॥६॥

तेनाज्ञप्तस्ततः शीघ्रं स दैत्यो धूम्रलोचनः।
वृतः षष्ट्या सहस्राणामसुराणां द्रुतं ययौ॥७॥

स दृष्ट्वा तां ततो देवीं तुहिनाचलसंस्थिताम्।
जगादोच्चैः प्रयाहीति मूलं शुम्भनिशुम्भयोः॥८॥

न चेत्प्रीत्याद्य भवती मद्भर्तारमुपैष्यति।
ततो बलान्नयाम्येष केशाकर्षणविह्वलाम्॥९॥

देव्युवाच॥१०॥

दैत्येश्वरेण प्रहितो बलवान् बलसंवृतः।
बलान्नयसि मामेवं ततः किं ते करोम्यहम्॥११॥

ऋषिरुवाच॥१२॥

इत्युक्तः सोऽभ्यधावत्तामसुरो धूम्रलोचनः।
हुंकारेणैव तं भस्म सा चकाराम्बिका ततः॥१३॥

अथ क्रुद्धं महासैन्यमसुराणां तथाम्बिका*।
ववर्ष सायकैस्तीक्ष्णैस्तथा शक्तिपरश्वधैः॥१४॥

ततो धुतसटः कोपात्कृत्वा नादं सुभैरवम्।
पपातासुरसेनायां सिंहो देव्याः स्ववाहनः॥१५॥

कांश्चित् करप्रहारेण दैत्यानास्येन चापरान्।
आक्रम्य* चाधरेणान्यान्* स जघान* महासुरान्॥१६॥

केषांचित्पाटयामास नखैः कोष्ठानि केसरी*।
तथा तलप्रहारेण शिरांसि कृतवान् पृथक्॥१७॥

विच्छिन्नबाहुशिरसः कृतास्तेन तथापरे।
पपौ च रुधिरं कोष्ठादन्येषां धुतकेसरः॥१८॥

क्षणेन तद्बलं सर्वं क्षयं नीतं महात्मना।
तेन केसरिणा देव्या वाहनेनातिकोपिना॥१९॥

श्रुत्वा तमसुरं देव्या निहतं धूम्रलोचनम्।
बलं च क्षयितं कृत्स्नं देवीकेसरिणा ततः॥२०॥

चुकोप दैत्याधिपतिः शुम्भः प्रस्फुरिताधरः।
आज्ञापयामास च तौ चण्डमुण्डौ महासुरौ॥२१॥

हे चण्ड हे मुण्ड बलैर्बहुभिः* परिवारितौ।
तत्र गच्छत गत्वा च सा समानीयतां लघु॥२२॥

केशेष्वाकृष्य बद्ध्वा वा यदि वः संशयो युधि।
तदाशेषायुधैः सर्वैरसुरैर्विनिहन्यताम्॥२३॥

तस्यां हतायां दुष्टायां सिंहे च विनिपातिते।
शीघ्रमागम्यतां बद्ध्वा गृहीत्वा तामथाम्बिकाम्॥ॐ॥२४॥

इति श्रीमार्कण्डेयपुराणे सावर्णिके मन्वन्तरे देवीमाहात्म्ये
शुम्भनिशुम्भसेनानीधूम्रलोचनवधो नाम षष्ठोऽध्यायः॥
२६॥

Meaning – Durga Saptashati Chapter 6

The Rishi said:

The messenger, filled with indignation on hearing the words the Devi, returned and related them in detail to the king of the daityas.

Then the asura monarch, enraged on hearing that report from his messenger, told Dhumralocana, a chieftain of the daityas: ‘O Dhumralocana, hasten together with your army and fetch here by force that shrew, distressed when dragged by her hair.

‘Or if any one else stands up as her saviors, let him be slain, be he a god, a yaksa or a gandharva.’ The Rishi said:

Then the asura Dhuralocana, commanded thus by Sumbha, went forth quickly, accompanied by sixty thousand asuras.

On seeing the Devi stationed on the snowy mountain, he asked her aloud, ‘Come to the presence of Sumbha and Nisumbha.

‘If you will not go to my lord with pleasure now, here I take you by force, distressed when dragged by your hair.’ The Devi said:

‘You are sent by the lord of the asuras, mighty yourself and accompanied by an army. If you thus take me by force, then what can I do to you?’ The Rishi said:

Thus told, the asura Dhumralocana rushed towards her and thereupon Ambika reduced him to ashes with a mere heave of the sound ‘hum’

Then the great army of asuras became enraged and showered on Ambika sharp arrows, javelins, and axes.

Then the lion, vehicle of the Devi, shaking its mane in anger, and making the most terrific roar, fell on the army of the asuras.

Some asuras, it slaughtered with a blow of its fore paw, others with its mouth, and other great asuras, by treading over with its hind legs.

The lion, with its claws, tore out the hearts of some and severed heads with a blow of the paw.

And it severed arms and heads from others, and shaking its mane drank the blood from the hearts of others.

In a moment all that army was destroyed by that high-spirited and exceedingly enraged lion who bore the Devi.

When Sumbha, the lord of asuras, heard that asura Dhumralocana was slain by the Devi and all his army was destroyed by the lion of the Devi, he was infuriated, his lip quivered and he commanded the two mighty asuras Chanda and Munda:

‘O Chanda, O Munda, go there with large forces, and bring her here speedily, dragging her by her hair or binding her. But if you have any doubt about doing that, then let the asuras strike (her) in the fight with all their weapons.

‘When that shrew is wounded and her lion stricken down, seize that Ambika, bind and bring her quickly.’ Here ends the sixth chapter called ‘The Slaying of Dhumralocana’ of Devi-mahatmya in Markandeya purana during the period of Savarni, the Manu.