Durga Saptashati Chapter 2 – Slaughter of the Armies of Mahishasura

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 second chapter of Durga Saptashati is based on “the slaughter of the armies of Mahishasura”.

The Slaughter of the armies of Mahishasura

Meditation of Mahalakshmi : I resort to Mahalakshmi, the destroyer of Mahishasura, who is seated on the lotus, is of the complexion of coral and who holds in her (eighteen ) hands rosary, axe, mace, arrow, thunderbolt, lotus, bow, pitcher, rod, sakti, sword, shield, conch, bell, wine-cup, trident, noose and the discus Sudarsana.

The Rishi said:

॥श्रीदुर्गासप्तशती – द्वितीयोऽध्यायः॥

देवताओं के तेज से देवी का प्रादुर्भाव और महिषासुर की सेना का वध

॥विनियोगः॥

ॐ मध्यमचरित्रस्य विष्णुर्ऋषिः, महालक्ष्मीर्देवता, उष्णिक् छन्दः,
शाकम्भरी शक्तिः, दुर्गा बीजम्, वायुस्तत्त्वम्, यजुर्वेदः स्वरूपम्,
श्रीमहालक्ष्मीप्रीत्यर्थं मध्यमचरित्रजपे विनियोगः।

॥ध्यानम्॥

ॐ अक्षस्रक्‌परशुं गदेषुकुलिशं पद्मं धनुष्कुण्डिकां
दण्डं शक्तिमसिं च चर्म जलजं घण्टां सुराभाजनम्।
शूलं पाशसुदर्शने च दधतीं हस्तैः प्रसन्नाननां
सेवे सैरिभमर्दिनीमिह महालक्ष्मीं सरोजस्थिताम्॥

“ॐ ह्रीं” ऋषिरुवाच॥१॥

देवासुरमभूद्युद्धं पूर्णमब्दशतं पुरा।
महिषेऽसुराणामधिपे देवानां च पुरन्दरे॥२॥

तत्रासुरैर्महावीर्यैर्देवसैन्यं पराजितम्।
जित्वा च सकलान् देवानिन्द्रोऽभून्महिषासुरः॥३॥

ततः पराजिता देवाः पद्मयोनिं प्रजापतिम्।
पुरस्कृत्य गतास्तत्र यत्रेशगरुडध्वजौ॥४॥

यथावृत्तं तयोस्तद्वन्महिषासुरचेष्टितम्।
त्रिदशाः कथयामासुर्देवाभिभवविस्तरम्॥५॥

सूर्येन्द्राग्न्यनिलेन्दूनां यमस्य वरुणस्य च।
अन्येषां चाधिकारान् स स्वयमेवाधितिष्ठति॥६॥

स्वर्गान्निराकृताः सर्वे तेन देवगणा भुवि।
विचरन्ति यथा मर्त्या महिषेण दुरात्मना॥७॥

एतद्वः कथितं सर्वममरारिविचेष्टितम्।
शरणं वः प्रपन्नाः स्मो वधस्तस्य विचिन्त्यताम्॥८॥

इत्थं निशम्य देवानां वचांसि मधुसूदनः।
चकार कोपं शम्भुश्च भ्रुकुटीकुटिलाननौ॥९॥

ततोऽतिकोपपूर्णस्य चक्रिणो वदनात्ततः।
निश्‍चक्राम महत्तेजो ब्रह्मणः शंकरस्य च॥१०॥

अन्येषां चैव देवानां शक्रादीनां शरीरतः।
निर्गतं सुमहत्तेजस्तच्चैक्यं समगच्छत॥११॥

अतीव तेजसः कूटं ज्वलन्तमिव पर्वतम्।
ददृशुस्ते सुरास्तत्र ज्वालाव्याप्तदिगन्तरम्॥१२॥

अतुलं तत्र तत्तेजः सर्वदेवशरीरजम्।
एकस्थं तदभून्नारी व्याप्तलोकत्रयं त्विषा॥१३॥

यदभूच्छाम्भवं तेजस्तेनाजायत तन्मुखम्।
याम्येन चाभवन् केशा बाहवो विष्णुतेजसा॥१४॥

सौम्येन स्तनयोर्युग्मं मध्यं चैन्द्रेण चाभवत्।
वारुणेन च जङ्‍घोरू नितम्बस्तेजसा भुवः॥१५॥

ब्रह्मणस्तेजसा पादौ तदङ्‌गुल्योऽर्कतेजसा।
वसूनां च कराङ्‌गुल्यः कौबेरेण च नासिका॥१६॥

तस्यास्तु दन्ताः सम्भूताः प्राजापत्येन तेजसा।
नयनत्रितयं जज्ञे तथा पावकतेजसा॥१७॥

भ्रुवौ च संध्ययोस्तेजः श्रवणावनिलस्य च।
अन्येषां चैव देवानां सम्भवस्तेजसां शिवा॥१८॥

ततः समस्तदेवानां तेजोराशिसमुद्भवाम्।
तां विलोक्य मुदं प्रापुरमरा महिषार्दिताः^*॥१९॥

शूलं शूलाद्विनिष्कृष्य ददौ तस्यै पिनाकधृक्।
चक्रं च दत्तवान् कृष्णः समुत्पाद्य^* स्वचक्रतः॥२०॥

शङ्‌खं च वरुणः शक्तिं ददौ तस्यै हुताशनः।
मारुतो दत्तवांश्‍चापं बाणपूर्णे तथेषुधी॥२१॥

वज्रमिन्द्रः समुत्पाद्य^* कुलिशादमराधिपः।
ददौ तस्यै सहस्राक्षो घण्टामैरावताद् गजात्॥२२॥

कालदण्डाद्यमो दण्डं पाशं चाम्बुपतिर्ददौ।
प्रजापतिश्‍चाक्षमालां ददौ ब्रह्मा कमण्डलुम्॥२३॥

समस्तरोमकूपेषु निजरश्मीन् दिवाकरः।
कालश्‍च दत्तवान् खड्‌गं तस्याश्‍चर्म^* च निर्मलम्॥२४॥

क्षीरोदश्‍चामलं हारमजरे च तथाम्बरे।
चूडामणिं तथा दिव्यं कुण्डले कटकानि च॥२५॥

अर्धचन्द्रं तथा शुभ्रं केयूरान् सर्वबाहुषु।
नूपुरौ विमलौ तद्वद् ग्रैवेयकमनुत्तमम्॥२६॥

अङ्‌गुलीयकरत्‍नानि समस्तास्वङ्‌गुलीषु च।
विश्‍वकर्मा ददौ तस्यै परशुं चातिनिर्मलम्॥२७॥

अस्त्राण्यनेकरूपाणि तथाभेद्यं च दंशनम्।
अम्लानपङ्‌कजां मालां शिरस्युरसि चापराम्॥२८॥

अददज्जलधिस्तस्यै पङ्‌कजं चातिशोभनम्।
हिमवा‍न् वाहनं सिंहं रत्‍नानि विविधानि च॥२९॥

ददावशून्यं सुरया पानपात्रं धनाधिपः।
शेषश्‍च सर्वनागेशो महामणिविभूषितम्॥३०॥

नागहारं ददौ तस्यै धत्ते यः पृथिवीमिमाम्॥
अन्यैरपि सुरैर्देवी भूषणैरायुधैस्तथा॥३१॥

सम्मानिता ननादोच्चैः साट्टहासं मुहुर्मुहुः।
तस्या नादेन घोरेण कृत्स्नमापूरितं नभः॥३२॥

अमायतातिमहता प्रतिशब्दो महानभूत्।
चुक्षुभुः सकला लोकाः समुद्राश्‍च चकम्पिरे॥३३॥

चचाल वसुधा चेलुः सकलाश्‍च महीधराः।
जयेति देवाश्‍च मुदा तामूचुः सिंहवाहिनीम्^*॥३४॥

तुष्टुवुर्मुनयश्‍चैनां भक्तिनम्रात्ममूर्तयः।
दृष्ट्‌वा समस्तं संक्षुब्धं त्रैलोक्यममरारयः॥३५॥

सन्नद्धाखिलसैन्यास्ते समुत्तस्थुरुदायुधाः।
आः किमेतदिति क्रोधादाभाष्य महिषासुरः॥३६॥

अभ्यधावत तं शब्दमशेषैरसुरैर्वृतः।
स ददर्श ततो देवीं व्याप्तलोकत्रयां त्विषा॥३७॥

पादाक्रान्त्या नतभुवं किरीटोल्लिखिताम्बराम्।
क्षोभिताशेषपातालां धनुर्ज्यानिःस्वनेन ताम्॥३८॥

दिशो भुजसहस्रेण समन्ताद् व्याप्य संस्थिताम्।
ततः प्रववृते युद्धं तया देव्या सुरद्विषाम्॥३९॥

शस्त्रास्त्रैर्बहुधा मुक्तैरादीपितदिगन्तरम्।
महिषासुरसेनानीश्‍चिक्षुराख्यो महासुरः॥४०॥

युयुधे चामरश्‍चान्यैश्‍चतुरङ्‌गबलान्वितः।
रथानामयुतैः षड्‌भिरुदग्राख्यो महासुरः॥४१॥

अयुध्यतायुतानां च सहस्रेण महाहनुः।
पञ्चाशद्‌भिश्‍च नियुतैरसिलोमा महासुरः॥४२॥

अयुतानां शतैः षड्‌भिर्बाष्कलो युयुधे रणे।
गजवाजिसहस्रौघैरनेकैः^* परिवारितः^*॥४३॥

वृतो रथानां कोट्या च युद्धे तस्मिन्नयुध्यत।
बिडालाख्योऽयुतानां च पञ्चाशद्भिरथायुतैः॥४४॥

युयुधे संयुगे तत्र रथानां परिवारितः^*।
अन्ये च तत्रायुतशो रथनागहयैर्वृताः॥४५॥

युयुधुः संयुगे देव्या सह तत्र महासुराः
कोटिकोटिसहस्रैस्तु रथानां दन्तिनां तथा॥४६॥

हयानां च वृतो युद्धे तत्राभून्महिषासुरः।
तोमरैर्भिन्दिपालैश्‍च शक्तिभिर्मुसलैस्तथा॥४७॥

युयुधुः संयुगे देव्या खड्‌गैः परशुपट्टिशैः।
केचिच्च चिक्षिपुः शक्तीः केचित्पाशांस्तथापरे॥४८॥

देवीं खड्‍गप्रहारैस्तु ते तां हन्तुं प्रचक्रमुः।
सापि देवी ततस्तानि शस्त्राण्यस्त्राणि चण्डिका॥४९॥

लीलयैव प्रचिच्छेद निजशस्त्रास्त्रवर्षिणी।
अनायस्तानना देवी स्तूयमाना सुरर्षिभिः॥५०॥

मुमोचासुरदेहेषु शस्त्राण्यस्त्राणि चेश्‍वरी।
सोऽपि क्रुद्धो धुतसटो देव्या वाहनकेशरी॥५१॥

चचारासुरसैन्येषु वनेष्विव हुताशनः।
निःश्‍वासान् मुमुचे यांश्च युध्यमाना रणेऽम्बिका॥५२॥

त एव सद्यः सम्भूता गणाः शतसहस्रशः।
युयुधुस्ते परशुभिर्भिन्दिपालासिपट्टिशैः॥५३॥

नाशयन्तोऽसुरगणान् देवीशक्‍त्युपबृंहिताः।
अवादयन्त पटहान् गणाः शङ्‌खांस्तथापरे॥५४॥

मृदङ्‌गांश्‍च तथैवान्ये तस्मिन् युद्धमहोत्सवे।
ततो देवी त्रिशूलेन गदया शक्तिवृष्टिभिः^*॥५५॥

खड्‌गादिभिश्‍च शतशो निजघान महासुरान्।
पातयामास चैवान्यान् घण्टास्वनविमोहितान्॥५६॥

असुरान् भुवि पाशेन बद्‌ध्वा चान्यानकर्षयत्।
केचिद् द्विधा कृतास्तीक्ष्णैः खड्‌गपातैस्तथापरे॥५७॥

विपोथिता निपातेन गदया भुवि शेरते।
वेमुश्‍च केचिद्रुधिरं मुसलेन भृशं हताः॥५८॥

केचिन्निपतिता भूमौ भिन्नाः शूलेन वक्षसि।
निरन्तराः शरौघेण कृताः केचिद्रणाजिरे॥५९॥

श्ये^*नानुकारिणः प्राणान् मुमुचुस्त्रिदशार्दनाः।
केषांचिद् बाहवश्छिन्नाश्छिन्नग्रीवास्तथापरे॥६०॥

शिरांसि पेतुरन्येषामन्ये मध्ये विदारिताः।
विच्छिन्नजङ्‌घास्त्वपरे पेतुरुर्व्यां महासुराः॥६१॥

एकबाह्वक्षिचरणाः केचिद्देव्या द्विधा कृताः।
छिन्नेऽपि चान्ये शिरसि पतिताः पुनरुत्थिताः॥६२॥

कबन्धा युयुधुर्देव्या गृहीतपरमायुधाः।
ननृतुश्‍चापरे तत्र युद्धे तूर्यलयाश्रिताः॥६३॥

कबन्धाश्छिन्नशिरसः खड्‌गशक्त्यृष्टिपाणयः।
तिष्ठ तिष्ठेति भाषन्तो देवीमन्ये महासुराः^*॥६४॥

पातितै रथनागाश्‍वैरसुरैश्‍च वसुन्धरा।
अगम्या साभवत्तत्र यत्राभूत्स महारणः॥६५॥

शोणितौघा महानद्यः सद्यस्तत्र प्रसुस्रुवुः।
मध्ये चासुरसैन्यस्य वारणासुरवाजिनाम्॥६६॥

क्षणेन तन्महासैन्यमसुराणां तथाम्बिका।
निन्ये क्षयं यथा वह्निस्तृणदारुमहाचयम्॥६७॥

स च सिंहो महानादमुत्सृजन्धुतकेसरः।
शरीरेभ्योऽमरारीणामसूनिव विचिन्वति॥६८॥

देव्या गणैश्‍च तैस्तत्र कृतं युद्धं महासुरैः।
यथैषां^* तुतुषुर्देवाः^* पुष्पवृष्टिमुचो दिवि॥ॐ॥६९॥

इति श्रीमार्कण्डेयपुराणे सावर्णिके मन्वन्तरे देवीमाहात्म्ये
महिषासुरसैन्यवधो नाम द्वितीयोऽध्यायः॥२॥
उवाच १, श्‍लोकाः ६८, एवम् ६९,
एवमादितः॥१७३॥

Meaning – Durga Saptashati Chapter 2

1-3. Of yore when Mahisasura was the lord of asuras and Indra the lord of devas, there was a war between the devas and asuras for a full hundred years. In that the army of the devas was vanquished by the valorous asuras. After conquering all the devas, Mahisasura became the lord of heaven( Indra).

4-5. Then the vanquished devas headed by Brahma, the lord of beings, went to the place where Siva and Vishnu were. The devas described to them in detail, as it had happened, the story of their defeat wrought by Mahisasura.

6-8. ‘He(Mahisasura) himself has assumed the jurisdictions of Surya, Indra, Agni, Vayu, Candra, Yama and Varuna and other (devas). Thrown out from heaven by that evil-natured Mahisa, the hosts of devas wander on the earth like mortals. All that has been done by the enemy of the devas, has been related to you both, and we have sought shelter under you both. May both of you be pleased to think out the means of his destruction.’

9. Having thus heard the words of the devas, Vishnu was angry and also Siva, and their faces became fierce with frowns.

10-11. The issued forth a great light from the face of Vishnu who was full of intense anger, and from that of Brahma and Siva too. From the bodies of Indra and other devas also sprang forth a very great light. And (all) this light united together.

12-13. The devas saw there a concentration of light like a mountain blazing excessively, pervading all the quarters with its flames. Then that unique light, produced from the bodies of all the devas, pervading the three worlds with its lustre, combined into one and became a female form.

14-15. By that which was Siva’s light, her face came into being; by Yama’s (light) her hair, by Vishnu’s light her arms; and by Candra’s (light) her two breasts. By Indra’s light her waist, by Varuna’s (light) her shanks and thighs and by earth’s light her hips.

16-18. By Brahma’s light her feet came into being; by Surya’s light her toes, by Vasus (light) her fingers, by Kubera’s (light) her nose; by Prajapati’s light her teeth came into being and similarly by Agni’s light her three eyes were formed. The light of the two sandhyas became her eye-brows, the light of Vayu her ears; the manifestation of the lights of other devas too (contributed to the being of the ) auspicious Devi.

19. Then looking at her, who had come into being from the assembled lights of all the devas, the immortals who were oppressed by Mahisasura experienced joy.

20-21. The bearer of Pinaka (Siva) drawing forth a trident from his own trident presented it to her; and Vishnu bringing forth a discus out of his own discus gave her. Varuna gave her a conch, Agni a spear; and Maruta gave a bow as well as two quivers full of arrows.

22-23. Indra, lord of devas, bringing forth a thunderbolt out of (his own) thunderbolt and a bell from that of his elephant Airavata, gave her. Yama gave a staff from his own staff of Death and Varuna, the lord of waters, a noose; and Brahma, the lord of beings, gave a string of beads and a water-pot.

24. Surya bestowed his own rays on al the pores of her skin and Kala (Time) gave a spotless sword and a shield.

25-29. The milk-ocean gave a pure necklace, a pair of un-decaying garments, a divine crest-jewel, a pair of ear-rings, bracelets, a brilliant half-moon(ornament), armlets on all arms, a pair of shining anklets, a unique necklace and excellent rings on all the fingers. Visvakarman gave her a very brilliant axe, weapons of various forms and also an impenetrable armour. The ocean gave her a garland of unfading lotuses for her head and another for her breast, besides a very beautiful lotus in her hand. The (mountain) Himavat gave her a lion to ride on a various jewels.

30-33. The lord of wealth (Kubera) gave her a drinking cup, ever full of wine. Sesa, the lord of all serpents, who supports this earth, gave her a serpent-necklace bedecked with best jewels. Honoured likewise by other devas also with ornaments and weapons, she (the Devi) gave out a loud roar with a decrying laugh again and again. By her unending, exceedingly great, terrible roar the entire sky was filled, and there was great reverberation. All worlds shook, the seas trembled.

34-46. The earth quaked and all the mountains rocked. ‘Victory to you,’ exclaimed the devas in joy to her, the lion-rider. the sages, who bowed their bodies in devotion, extolled her. Seeing the three worlds agitated the foes of devas, mobilized all their armies and rose up together with uplifted weapons. Mahisasura, exclaiming in wrath, ‘Ha! What is this?’ rushed towards that roar, surrounded by innumerable asuras. Then he saw the Devi pervading the three worlds with her lustre. Making the earth bend with her footstep, scraping the sky with her diadem, shaking the nether worlds with the twang of the bowstring, and standing there pervading all the quarters around with her thousand arms. Then began a battle between that Devi and the enemies of the devas, in which the quarters of the sky were illumined by the weapons and arms hurled diversely. Mahisasura’s general, a great asura named Ciksura and Camara, attended by forces comprising four parts, and other (asuras) fought. A great asura named Udagra with sixty thousand chariots, and Mahahanu with ten millions (of chariots) gave battle. Asiloman, another great asura, with fifteen millions (of chariots), and Baskala with six millions fought in that battle. Privarita with many thousands of elephants and horses, and surrounded by ten millions of chariots, fought in that battle. An asura named Bidala fought in that battle surrounded with five hundred crores of chariots. And other great asuras, thousands in number, surrounded with chariots, elephants and horses fought with the Devi in that battle.

47-48. Mahisasura was surrounded in that battle with thousands of crores of horses, elephants and chariots. Others (asuras) fought in the battle against the Devi with iron maces and javelins, with spears and clubs, with swords, axes and halberds. Some hurled spears and others nooses.

49-58. They began to strike her with swords in order to kill her. Showering her own weapons and arms, that Devi Chandika very easily cut into pieces all those weapons and arms. Without any strain on her face, and with gods and sages extolling her, the Isvari threw her weapons and arms at the bodies of the asuras. And the lion also which carried the Devi, shaking its mane in rage, stalked among the hosts of the asuras like a conflagration amidst the forests. The sighs which Ambika, engaged in the battle, heaved became at once her battalions by hundreds and thousands. Energized by the power of the Devi, these (battalions) fought with axes, javelins, swords, halberds, and destroyed the asuras. Of these battalions, some beat drums, some blew conches and others played on tabors in that great martial festival. Then the Devi killed hundreds of asuras with her trident, club, showers of spears, swords and the like, and threw down others who were stupefied by the noise of her bell; and binding others with her noose, she dragged them on the ground. Some were split into two by the sharp slashes of her sword, and others, smashed by the blows of her mace, lay down on the ground; and some severely hammered by club vomited forth blood.

59-61. Pierced in the breast by her trident, some fell on the ground. Pierced all over by her arrows and resembling porcupines, some of the enemies of devas gave up their lives on that field of battle. Some had their arms cut off, some, their necks broken the heads of others rolled down; some others were torn asunder in the middle of their trunks, and some great asuras fell on the ground with their legs severed.

62. Some rendered one-armed, one-eyed, and one-legged were again clove in twain by the Devi. And others, though rendered headless, fell and rose again.

63. Headless trunks fought with the Devi with best weapons in their hands. Some of these headless trunks danced there in the battle to the rhythm of the musical instruments.

64-65. The trunks of some other great asuras, with their swords, spears and lances still in their hands, shouted at the Devi with their just severed heads, ‘Stop, stop’. That part of earth where the battle was fought became impassable with the asuras, elephants and horses and chariots that had been felled.

66-67. The profuse blood from the asuras, elephants and horses flowed immediately like large rivers amidst that army of the asuras. As fire consumes a huge heap of straw and wood, so did Ambika destroy that vast army of asuras in no time.

68-69. And her carrier-lion, thundering aloud with quivering mane, prowled about in the battlefield, appearing to search out the vital breaths from the bodies of the enemies of devas. In that battlefield the battalions of the Devi fought in such a manner with the asuras that the devas in heaven, showering flowers, extolled them. Here ends the second chapter called ‘Slaughter of the armies of Mahisasura’ of Devi-mahatmya in Markandeya-purana, during the period of Savarni, the Manu.