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 third chapter of Durga Saptashati is based on “the slaying of Mahishasura”.

 

Durga Saptashati Chapter 3 – The Slaying of Mahishasura

The Rishi said:

॥श्रीदुर्गासप्तशती – तृतीयोऽध्यायः॥

सेनापतियोंसहित महिषासुर का वध

॥ध्यानम्॥

ॐ उद्यद्भानुसहस्रकान्तिमरुणक्षौमां शिरोमालिकां
रक्तालिप्तपयोधरां जपवटीं विद्यामभीतिं वरम्।
हस्ताब्जैर्दधतीं त्रिनेत्रविलसद्वक्त्रारविन्दश्रियं
देवीं बद्धहिमांशुरत्‍नमुकुटां वन्देऽरविन्दस्थिताम्॥

“ॐ” ऋषिररुवाच॥१॥

निहन्यमानं तत्सैन्यमवलोक्य महासुरः।
सेनानीश्‍चिक्षुरः कोपाद्ययौ योद्‍धुमथाम्बिकाम्॥२॥

स देवीं शरवर्षेण ववर्ष समरेऽसुरः।
यथा मेरुगिरेः श्रृङ्‌गं तोयवर्षेण तोयदः॥३॥

तस्यच्छित्त्वा ततो देवी लीलयैव शरोत्करान्।
जघान तुरगान् बाणैर्यन्तारं चैव वाजिनाम्॥४॥

चिच्छेद च धनुः सद्यो ध्वजं चातिसमुच्छ्रितम्।
विव्याध चैव गात्रेषु छिन्नधन्वानमाशुगैः॥५॥

सच्छिन्नधन्वा विरथो हताश्‍वो हतसारथिः।
अभ्यधावत तां देवीं खड्‌गचर्मधरोऽसुरः॥६॥

सिंहमाहत्य खड्‌गेन तीक्ष्णधारेण मूर्धनि।
आजघान भुजे सव्ये देवीमप्यतिवेगवान्॥७॥

तस्याः खड्‌गो भुजं प्राप्य पफाल नृपनन्दन।
ततो जग्राह शूलं स कोपादरुणलोचनः॥८॥

चिक्षेप च ततस्तत्तु भद्रकाल्यां महासुरः।
जाज्वल्यमानं तेजोभी रविबिम्बमिवाम्बरात्॥९॥

दृष्ट्‍वा तदापतच्छूलं देवी शूलममुञ्चत।
तच्छूलं* शतधा तेन नीतं स च महासुरः॥१०॥

हते तस्मिन्महावीर्ये महिषस्य चमूपतौ।
आजगाम गजारूढश्‍चामरस्त्रिदशार्दनः॥११॥

सोऽपि शक्तिं मुमोचाथ देव्यास्तामम्बिका द्रुतम्।
हुंकाराभिहतां भूमौ पातयामास निष्प्रभाम्॥१२॥

भग्नां शक्तिं निपतितां दृष्ट्‌वा क्रोधसमन्वितः।
चिक्षेप चामरः शूलं बाणैस्तदपि साच्छिनत्॥१३॥

ततः सिंहः समुत्पत्य गजकुम्भान्तरे स्थितः।
बाहुयुद्धेन युयुधे तेनोच्चैस्त्रिदशारिणा॥१४॥

युद्ध्यमानौ ततस्तौ तु तस्मान्नागान्महीं गतौ।
युयुधातेऽतिसंरब्धौ प्रहारैरतिदारुणैः॥१५॥

ततो वेगात् खमुत्पत्य निपत्य च मृगारिणा।
करप्रहारेण शिरश्‍चामरस्य पृथक्कृतम्॥१६॥

उदग्रश्‍च रणे देव्या शिलावृक्षादिभिर्हतः।
दन्तमुष्टितलैश्‍चैव करालश्‍च निपातितः॥१७॥

देवी क्रुद्धा गदापातैश्‍चूर्णयामास चोद्धतम्।
बाष्कलं भिन्दिपालेन बाणैस्ताम्रं तथान्धकम्॥१८॥

उग्रास्यमुग्रवीर्यं च तथैव च महाहनुम्।
त्रिनेत्रा च त्रिशूलेन जघान परमेश्वरी॥१९॥

बिडालस्यासिना कायात्पातयामास वै शिरः।
दुर्धरं दुर्मुखं चोभौ शरैर्निन्ये यमक्षयम्*॥२०॥

एवं संक्षीयमाणे तु स्वसैन्ये महिषासुरः।
माहिषेण स्वरूपेण त्रासयामास तान् गणान्॥२१॥

कांश्‍चित्तुण्डप्रहारेण खुरक्षेपैस्तथापरान्।
लाङ्‌गूलताडितांश्‍चान्याञ्छृङ्‌गाभ्यां च विदारितान्॥२२॥

वेगेन कांश्‍चिदपरान्नादेन भ्रमणेन च।
निःश्वासपवनेनान्यान् पातयामास भूतले॥२३॥

निपात्य प्रमथानीकमभ्यधावत सोऽसुरः।
सिंहं हन्तुं महादेव्याः कोपं चक्रे ततोऽम्बिका॥२४॥

सोऽपि कोपान्महावीर्यः खुरक्षुण्णमहीतलः।
श्रृङ्‌गाभ्यां पर्वतानुच्चांश्चिक्षेप च ननाद च॥२५॥

वेगभ्रमणविक्षुण्णा मही तस्य व्यशीर्यत।
लाङ्‌गूलेनाहतश्‍चाब्धिः प्लावयामास सर्वतः॥२६॥

धुतश्रृङ्‌गविभिन्नाश्‍च खण्डं* खण्डं ययुर्घनाः।
श्‍वासानिलास्ताः शतशो निपेतुर्नभसोऽचलाः॥२७॥

इति क्रोधसमाध्मातमापतन्तं महासुरम्।
दृष्ट्‌वा सा चण्डिका कोपं तद्वधाय तदाकरोत्॥२८॥

सा क्षिप्त्वा तस्य वै पाशं तं बबन्ध महासुरम्।
तत्याज माहिषं रूपं सोऽपि बद्धो महामृधे॥२९॥

ततः सिंहोऽभवत्सद्यो यावत्तस्याम्बिका शिरः।
छिनत्ति तावत्पुरुषः खड्‌गपाणिरदृश्यत॥३०॥

तत एवाशु पुरुषं देवी चिच्छेद सायकैः।
तं खड्‌गचर्मणा सार्धं ततः सोऽभून्महागजः॥३१॥

करेण च महासिंहं तं चकर्ष जगर्ज च।
कर्षतस्तु करं देवी खड्‌गेन निरकृन्तत॥३२॥

ततो महासुरो भूयो माहिषं वपुरास्थितः।
तथैव क्षोभयामास त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम्॥३३॥

ततः क्रुद्धा जगन्माता चण्डिका पानमुत्तमम्।
पपौ पुनः पुनश्‍चैव जहासारुणलोचना॥३४॥

ननर्द चासुरः सोऽपि बलवीर्यमदोद्‌धतः।
विषाणाभ्यां च चिक्षेप चण्डिकां प्रति भूधरान्॥३५॥

सा च तान् प्रहितांस्तेन चूर्णयन्ती शरोत्करैः।
उवाच तं मदोद्‌धूतमुखरागाकुलाक्षरम्॥३६॥

देव्युवाच॥३७॥

गर्ज गर्ज क्षणं मूढ मधु यावत्पिबाम्यहम्।
मया त्वयि हतेऽत्रैव गर्जिष्यन्त्याशु देवताः॥३८॥

ऋषिरुवाच॥३९॥

एवमुक्त्वा समुत्पत्य साऽऽरूढा तं महासुरम्।
पादेनाक्रम्य कण्ठे च शूलेनैनमताडयत्॥४०॥

ततः सोऽपि पदाऽऽक्रान्तस्तया निजमुखात्ततः।
अर्धनिष्क्रान्त एवासीद्* देव्या वीर्येण संवृतः॥४१॥

अर्धनिष्क्रान्त एवासौ युध्यमानो महासुरः।
तया महासिना देव्या शिरश्छित्त्वा निपातितः*॥४२॥

ततो हाहाकृतं सर्वं दैत्यसैन्यं ननाश तत्।
प्रहर्षं च परं जग्मुः सकला देवतागणाः॥४३॥

तुष्टुवुस्तां सुरा देवीं सह दिव्यैर्महर्षिभिः।
जगुर्गन्धर्वपतयो ननृतुश्‍चाप्सरोगणाः॥ॐ॥४४॥

इति श्रीमार्कण्डेयपुराणे सावर्णिके मन्वन्तरे देवीमाहात्म्ये
महिषासुरवधो नाम तृतीयोऽध्यायः॥३॥
उवाच ३, श्‍लोकाः ४१, एवम् ४४,
एवमादितः॥२१७॥

 

Meaning – Durga Saptashati Chapter 3

1-2. Then Ciksura, the great asura general, seeing that army being slain(by the Devi), advanced in anger to fight with Ambika.

3. That asura rained showers of arrows on the Devi in the battle, even as a cloud (showers) rain on the summit of Mount Meru.

4. Then the Devi, easily cutting asunder the masses of his arrows, killed his horses and their controller with her arrows.

5. Forthwith she split his bow and lofty banner, and with her arrows pierced the body of that(asura) whose bow had been cut.

6. His bow shattered, his chariot broken, his horses killed and his charioteer slain, the asura armed with sword and shield rushed at the Devi.

7. Swiftly he smote the lion on the head with his sharp-edged sword and struck the Devi also on her left arm.

8. O king, his sword broke into pieces as it touched her arm. Thereon his eyes turning red with anger, he grasped his pike.

9. Then the great asura flung at Bhandrakali the pike, blazing with lustre, as if he was hurling the very sun from the skies.

10. Seeing that pike coming upon her, the Devi hurled her pike that shattered his pike into a hundred fragments and the great asura himself.

11. Mahisasura’s very valiant general having been killed, Camara, the afflictor of devas, mounted on an elephant, advanced.

12. He also hurled his spear at the Devi. Ambika quickly assailed it with a whoop, made it lustreless and fall to the ground.

13. Seeing his spear broken and fallen, Camara, full of rage, flung a pike, and she split that also with her arrows.

14. Then the lion, leaping up and seating itself at the centre of the elephant’s forehead, engaged itself in a hand to hand fight with that foe of the devas.

15. , the two then came down to the earth from the back of the elephant, and fought very impetuously, dealing the most terrible blows at each other.

16. Then the lion, springing up quickly to the sky, and descending, severed Camara’s head with a blow from its paw.

17. And Udagra was killed in the battle by the Devi with stones, trees and the like, and Karala also stricken down by her teeth and fists and slaps.

18. Enraged, the Devi ground Uddhata to powder with the blows of her club, and killed Baskala with a dart and destroyed Tamra and Andhaka with arrows.

19. The three-eyed Supreme Isvari killed Ugrasya and Ugravirya and Mahahanu also with her trident.

20. With her sword she struck down Bidala’s head from his body, and dispatched both Durdhara and Durmudha to the abode of Death with her arrows.

21. As his army was thus being destroyed, Mahisasura terrified the troops of the Devi with his own buffalo form.

22. Some ( he laid low) by a blow of his muzzle, some by stamping with his hooves, some by the lashes of his tail, and others by the pokes of his horns.

23. Some he laid low on the face of the earth by his impetuous speed, some by his bellowing and wheeling movement, and others by the blast of his breath.

24. Having laid low her army, Mahisasura rushed to slay the lion of the Mahadevi. This enraged Ambika.

25. Mahisasura, great in valour, pounded the surface of the earth with his hooves in rage, tossed up the high mountains with his horns, and bellowed terribly.

26. Crushed by the velocity of his wheeling, the earth disintegrated, and lashed by his tail, the sea overflowed all around.

27. Pierced by his swaying horns, the clouds went into fragments. Cast up by the blast of his breath, mountains fell down from the sky in hundreds.

28. Seeing the great asura swollen with rage and advancing towards her, Chandika displayed her wrath in order to slay him.

29. She flung her noose over him and bound the great asura. Thus bound in the great battle, he quitted his buffalo form.

30. Then he became a lion suddenly. While Ambika cut off the head (of his lion form), he took the appearance of a man with sword in hand.

31. Immediately then the Devi with her arrows chopped off the man together with his sword and shield. Then he became a big elephant.

32. (The elephant) tugged at her great lion with his trunk and roared loudly, but as he was dragging, the Devi cut off his trunk with her sword.

33. The great asura then resumed his buffalo shape and shook the three worlds with their movable and immovable objects.

34. Enraged threat, Chandika, the Mother of the worlds, quaffed a divine drink again and again, and laughed, her eyes becoming red.

35, And the asura, also roared intoxicated with his strength and valour, and hurled mountains against Chandika with his horns.

36. And she with showers of arrows pulverized ( those mountains) hurled at her, and spoke to him in flurried words, the colour of her face accentuated with the intoxication of the divine drink. The Devi said:

37-38. ‘Roar, roar, O fool, for a moment while I drink this wine. When you sill be slain by me, the devas will soon roar in this very place.’ The Rishi said:

39-40. Having exclaimed thus, she jumped and landed herself on that great asura, pressed him on the neck with her foot and struck him with her spear.

41. And thereupon, caught up under her foot. Mahisasura half issued forth ( in his real form) from his own (buffalo) mouth, being completely overcome by the valour of the Devi.

42. Fighting thus with his half-revealed form, the great asura was laid by the Devi who struck off his head with her great sword.

43. Then, crying in consternation, the whole asura army perished; and all the hosts of deva were in exultation.

44. With the great sages of heaven, the devas praised the Devi. The Gandharva chiefs sang and the bevies of apsaras danced. Here ends the third chapter called ‘The Slaying of Mahisasura’ of Devi-mahatmya in Markandeya-purana during the period of Savarni, the Manu.

Back to Home Durga Saptashati

Chapter 1 – Slaying of Madhu and Kaitabha

Chapter 2 – Slaughter of the Armies of Mahishasura

Chapter 3 – Slaying of Mahishasura

Chapter 4 – Devi Stuti

Chapter 5 – Devi’s Conversation with the Messenger

Chapter 6 – Slaying of Dhumralochana

Chapter 7 – Slaying of Chanda and Munda

Chapter 8 – Slaying of Raktabija

Chapter 9 – Slaying of Nishumbha

Chapter 10 – Slaying of Shumbha

Chapter 11 – Hymn to Narayani

Chapter 12 – Eulogy of Merits

Chapter 13 – Bestowing of Boons to Suratha and Vaisya