Durga Saptashati Chapter 10 – Slaying of Shumbha

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 tenth chapter of Durga Saptashati is based on “the slaying of Shumbha”.

Durga Saptashati Chapter 10 – The Slaying Of Shumbha

॥ध्यानम्॥

ॐ उत्तप्तहेमरुचिरां रविचन्द्रवह्नि-
नेत्रां धनुश्शरयुताङ्कुशपाशशूलम्।
रम्यैर्भुजैश्च दधतीं शिवशक्तिरूपां
कामेश्वरीं हृदि भजामि धृतेन्दुलेखाम्॥

“ॐ” ऋषिरुवाच॥१॥

निशुम्भं निहतं दृष्ट्वा भ्रातरं प्राणसम्मितम्।
हन्यमानं बलं चैव शुम्भः क्रुद्धोऽब्रवीद्वचः॥२॥

बलावलेपाद्दुष्टे* त्वं मा दुर्गे गर्वमावह।
अन्यासां बलमाश्रित्य युद्ध्यसे यातिमानिनी॥३॥

देव्युवाच॥४॥

एकैवाहं जगत्यत्र द्वितीया का ममापरा।
पश्यैता दुष्ट मय्येव विशन्त्यो मद्विभूतयः*॥५॥

ततः समस्तास्ता देव्यो ब्रह्माणीप्रमुखा लयम्।
तस्या देव्यास्तनौ जग्मुरेकैवासीत्तदाम्बिका॥६॥

देव्युवाच॥७॥

अहं विभूत्या बहुभिरिह रूपैर्यदास्थिता।
तत्संहृतं मयैकैव तिष्ठाम्याजौ स्थिरो भव॥८॥

ऋषिरुवाच।।९॥

ततः प्रववृते युद्धं देव्याः शुम्भस्य चोभयोः।
पश्यतां सर्वदेवानामसुराणां च दारुणम्॥१०॥

शरवर्षैः शितैः शस्त्रैस्तथास्त्रैश्चैव दारुणैः।
तयोर्युद्धमभूद्भूयः सर्वलोकभयङ्करम्॥११॥

दिव्यान्यस्त्राणि शतशो मुमुचे यान्यथाम्बिका।
बभञ्ज तानि दैत्येन्द्रस्तत्प्रतीघातकर्तृभिः॥१२॥

मुक्तानि तेन चास्त्राणि दिव्यानि परमेश्वरी।
बभञ्ज लीलयैवोग्रहु*ङ्कारोच्चारणादिभिः॥१३॥

ततः शरशतैर्देवीमाच्छादयत सोऽसुरः।
सापि* तत्कुपिता देवी धनुश्चिच्छेद चेषुभिः॥१४॥

छिन्ने धनुषि दैत्येन्द्रस्तथा शक्तिमथाददे।
चिच्छेद देवी चक्रेण तामप्यस्य करे स्थिताम्॥१५॥

ततः खड्गमुपादाय शतचन्द्रं च भानुमत्।
अभ्यधावत्तदा* देवीं दैत्यानामधिपेश्वरः॥१६॥

तस्यापतत एवाशु खड्गं चिच्छेद चण्डिका।
धनुर्मुक्तैः शितैर्बाणैश्चर्म चार्ककरामलम्*॥१७॥

हताश्वः स तदा दैत्यश्छिन्नधन्वा विसारथिः।
जग्राह मुद्गरं घोरमम्बिकानिधनोद्यतः॥१८॥

चिच्छेदापततस्तस्य मुद्गरं निशितैः शरैः।
तथापि सोऽभ्यधावत्तां मुष्टिमुद्यम्य वेगवान्॥१९॥

स मुष्टिं पातयामास हृदये दैत्यपुङ्गवः।
देव्यास्तं चापि सा देवी तलेनोरस्यताडयत्॥२०॥

तलप्रहाराभिहतो निपपात महीतले।
स दैत्यराजः सहसा पुनरेव तथोत्थितः॥२१॥

उत्पत्य च प्रगृह्योच्चैर्देवीं गगनमास्थितः।
तत्रापि सा निराधारा युयुधे तेन चण्डिका॥२२॥

नियुद्धं खे तदा दैत्यश्चण्डिका च परस्परम्।
चक्रतुः प्रथमं सिद्धमुनिविस्मयकारकम्॥२३॥

ततो नियुद्धं सुचिरं कृत्वा तेनाम्बिका सह।
उत्पात्य भ्रामयामास चिक्षेप धरणीतले॥२४॥

स क्षिप्तो धरणीं प्राप्य मुष्टिमुद्यम्य वेगितः*।
अभ्यधावत दुष्टात्मा चण्डिकानिधनेच्छया॥२५॥

तमायान्तं ततो देवी सर्वदैत्यजनेश्वरम्।
जगत्यां पातयामास भित्त्वा शूलेन वक्षसि॥२६॥

स गतासुः पपातोर्व्यां देवीशूलाग्रविक्षतः।
चालयन् सकलां पृथ्वीं साब्धिद्वीपां सपर्वताम्॥२७॥

ततः प्रसन्नमखिलं हते तस्मिन् दुरात्मनि।
जगत्स्वास्थ्यमतीवाप निर्मलं चाभवन्नभः॥२८॥

उत्पातमेघाः सोल्का ये प्रागासंस्ते शमं ययुः।
सरितो मार्गवाहिन्यस्तथासंस्तत्र पातिते॥२९॥

ततो देवगणाः सर्वे हर्षनिर्भरमानसाः।
बभूवुर्निहते तस्मिन् गन्धर्वा ललितं जगुः॥३०॥

अवादयंस्तथैवान्ये ननृतुश्चाप्सरोगणाः।
ववुः पुण्यास्तथा वाताः सुप्रभोऽभूद्दिवाकरः॥३१॥

जज्वलुश्चाग्नयः शान्ताः शान्ता दिग्जनितस्वनाः॥ॐ॥३२॥

इति श्रीमार्कण्डेयपुराणे सावर्णिके मन्वन्तरे देवीमाहात्म्ये
शुम्भवधो नाम दशमोऽध्यायः॥१०॥

Meaning – Durga Saptashati Chapter 10

The Rishi said : Seeing his brother Nishumbha slain, who was dear to him as his life, and his army being slaughtered, Shumbha angrily said, ‘O Durga who are puffed up with pride of strength, don’t show your pride (here). Though you are exceedingly haughty, you, resorting to the strength of others, fight.’

The Devi said, ‘I am all alone in the world here. Who else is there besides me? See, O vile one, these Goddesses, who are but my own powers, entering into my own self!’ After saying this, all the Brahmani and the rest, were seen to be absorbed in the body of the Devi. Ambika alone then remained.

The Devi said, ‘The numerous forms, which I projected by my power here have been withdrawn by me, and (now) I stand alone. Be steadfast in combat.’

The Rishi said : Then began a dreadful battle between them both, the Devi and Shumbha, while all the devas and asuras looked on. With showers of arrows, with sharp weapons and frightful missiles, both engaged again in a combat that frightened all the worlds alike.

The daitya-king, wounded by the blow of Her palm fell on the earth, but immediately he rose back up again. Seizing the Devi, he sprang up and mounted high into the sky. There also Chandika fought with him without any support.

Now, the daitya (Shumbha) and Chandika fought as never before, being in a close contact with each other up in the sky, which surprised the Siddhas and sages. Ambika then, after carrying on a close fight for a very long time with him, lifted him up, whirled him around and flung him down to earth. Flung thus, the evil-natured (Shumbha) reaching the earth and raising his fist, hastily rushed forward desiring to kill Chandika. Seeing that lord of all the daitya-folk approaching, the Devi, piercing him on the chest with a dart, threw him down to earth. Pierced by the pointed dart of the Devi he fell lifeless on the ground, shaking the entire earth with its seas, islands and mountains.

When that evil-natured (asura) was slain, the universe became happy and regained perfect peace, and the sky got clearer. Flaming portent-clouds that were in evidence before became tranquil, and the rivers kept within their courses when Shumbha was stricken down there. When he had been slain, the minds of all the bands of devas became overjoyed, and the Gandharvas sang sweetly. Others played (their instruments), and the bands of nymphs danced; likewise favourable winds blew; the sun became very brilliant; the sacred fires blazed peacefully and tranquil became the strange sounds that had risen in different quarters.

Here ends the tenth chapter called ‘the Slaying of Shumbha’ of Devi mahatmya in Markandeya-purana during the period of Savarni, the Manu.