Durga Saptashati Chapter 9 – Slaying of Nishumbha

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 ninth chapter of Durga Saptashati is based on “the slaying of Nishumbha”.

Durga Saptashati Chapter 9 – Slaying Of Nishumbha

॥ध्यानम्॥

ॐ बन्धूककाञ्चननिभं रुचिराक्षमालां
पाशाङ्कुशौ च वरदां निजबाहुदण्डैः।
बिभ्राणमिन्दुशकलाभरणं त्रिनेत्र-
मर्धाम्बिकेशमनिशं वपुराश्रयामि॥

“ॐ” राजोवाच॥१॥

विचित्रमिदमाख्यातं भगवन् भवता मम।
देव्याश्चरितमाहात्म्यं रक्तबीजवधाश्रितम्॥२॥

भूयश्चेच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं रक्तबीजे निपातिते।
चकार शुम्भो यत्कर्म निशुम्भश्चातिकोपनः॥३॥

ऋषिरुवाच॥४॥

चकार कोपमतुलं रक्तबीजे निपातिते।
शुम्भासुरो निशुम्भश्च हतेष्वन्येषु चाहवे॥५॥

हन्यमानं महासैन्यं विलोक्यामर्षमुद्वहन्।
अभ्यधावन्निशुम्भोऽथ मुख्ययासुरसेनया॥६॥

तस्याग्रतस्तथा पृष्ठे पार्श्वयोश्च महासुराः।
संदष्टौष्ठपुटाः क्रुद्धा हन्तुं देवीमुपाययुः॥७॥

आजगाम महावीर्यः शुम्भोऽपि स्वबलैर्वृतः।
निहन्तुं चण्डिकां कोपात्कृत्वा युद्धं तु मातृभिः॥८॥

ततो युद्धमतीवासीद्देव्या शुम्भनिशुम्भयोः।
शरवर्षमतीवोग्रं मेघयोरिव वर्षतोः॥९॥

चिच्छेदास्ताञ्छरांस्ताभ्यां चण्डिका स्वशरोत्करैः*।
ताडयामास चाङ्गेषु शस्त्रौघैरसुरेश्वरौ॥१०॥

निशुम्भो निशितं खड्गं चर्म चादाय सुप्रभम्।
अताडयन्मूर्ध्नि सिंहं देव्या वाहनमुत्तमम्॥११॥

ताडिते वाहने देवी क्षुरप्रेणासिमुत्तमम्।
निशुम्भस्याशु चिच्छेद चर्म चाप्यष्टचन्द्रकम्॥१२॥

छिन्ने चर्मणि खड्गे च शक्तिं चिक्षेप सोऽसुरः।
तामप्यस्य द्विधा चक्रे चक्रेणाभिमुखागताम्॥१३॥

कोपाध्मातो निशुम्भोऽथ शूलं जग्राह दानवः।
आयातं* मुष्टिपातेन देवी तच्चाप्यचूर्णयत्॥१४॥

आविध्याथ* गदां सोऽपि चिक्षेप चण्डिकां प्रति।
सापि देव्या त्रिशूलेन भिन्ना भस्मत्वमागता॥१५॥

ततः परशुहस्तं तमायान्तं दैत्यपुङ्गवम्।
आहत्य देवी बाणौघैरपातयत भूतले॥१६॥

तस्मिन्निपतिते भूमौ निशुम्भे भीमविक्रमे।
भ्रातर्यतीव संक्रुद्धः प्रययौ हन्तुमम्बिकाम्॥१७॥

स रथस्थस्तथात्युच्चैर्गृहीतपरमायुधैः।
भुजैरष्टाभिरतुलैर्व्याप्याशेषं बभौ नभः॥१८॥

तमायान्तं समालोक्य देवी शङ्खमवादयत्।
ज्याशब्दं चापि धनुषश्चकारातीव दुःसहम्॥१९॥

पूरयामास ककुभो निजघण्टास्वनेन च।
समस्तदैत्यसैन्यानां तेजोवधविधायिना॥२०॥

ततः सिंहो महानादैस्त्याजितेभमहामदैः।
पूरयामास गगनं गां तथैव* दिशो दश॥२१॥

ततः काली समुत्पत्य गगनं क्ष्मामताडयत्।
कराभ्यां तन्निनादेन प्राक्स्वनास्ते तिरोहिताः॥२२॥

अट्टाट्टहासमशिवं शिवदूती चकार ह।
तैः शब्दैरसुरास्त्रेसुः शुम्भः कोपं परं ययौ॥२३॥

दुरात्मंस्तिष्ठ तिष्ठेति व्याजहाराम्बिका यदा।
तदा जयेत्यभिहितं देवैराकाशसंस्थितैः॥२४॥

शुम्भेनागत्य या शक्तिर्मुक्ता ज्वालातिभीषणा।
आयान्ती वह्निकूटाभा सा निरस्ता महोल्कया॥२५॥

सिंहनादेन शुम्भस्य व्याप्तं लोकत्रयान्तरम्।
निर्घातनिःस्वनो घोरो जितवानवनीपते॥२६॥

शुम्भमुक्ताञ्छरान्देवी शुम्भस्तत्प्रहिताञ्छरान्।
चिच्छेद स्वशरैरुग्रैः शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः॥२७॥

ततः सा चण्डिका क्रुद्धा शूलेनाभिजघान तम्।
स तदाभिहतो भूमौ मूर्च्छितो निपपात ह॥२८॥

ततो निशुम्भः सम्प्राप्य चेतनामात्तकार्मुकः।
आजघान शरैर्देवीं कालीं केसरिणं तथा॥२९॥

पुनश्च कृत्वा बाहूनामयुतं दनुजेश्वरः।
चक्रायुधेन दितिजश्छादयामास चण्डिकाम्॥३०॥

ततो भगवती क्रुद्धा दुर्गा दुर्गार्तिनाशिनी।
चिच्छेद तानि चक्राणि स्वशरैः सायकांश्च तान्॥३१॥

ततो निशुम्भो वेगेन गदामादाय चण्डिकाम्।
अभ्यधावत वै हन्तुं दैत्यसेनासमावृतः॥३२॥

तस्यापतत एवाशु गदां चिच्छेद चण्डिका।
खड्गेन शितधारेण स च शूलं समाददे॥३३॥

शूलहस्तं समायान्तं निशुम्भममरार्दनम्।
हृदि विव्याध शूलेन वेगाविद्धेन चण्डिका॥३४॥

भिन्नस्य तस्य शूलेन हृदयान्निःसृतोऽपरः।
महाबलो महावीर्यस्तिष्ठेति पुरुषो वदन्॥३५॥

तस्य निष्क्रामतो देवी प्रहस्य स्वनवत्ततः।
शिरश्चिच्छेद खड्गेन ततोऽसावपतद्भुवि॥३६॥

ततः सिंहश्चखादोग्रं* दंष्ट्राक्षुण्णशिरोधरान्।
असुरांस्तांस्तथा काली शिवदूती तथापरान्॥३७॥

कौमारीशक्तिनिर्भिन्नाः केचिन्नेशुर्महासुराः।
ब्रह्माणीमन्त्रपूतेन तोयेनान्ये निराकृताः॥३८॥

माहेश्वरीत्रिशूलेन भिन्नाः पेतुस्तथापरे।
वाराहीतुण्डघातेन केचिच्चूर्णीकृता भुवि॥३९॥

खण्डं* खण्डं च चक्रेण वैष्णव्या दानवाः कृताः।
वज्रेण चैन्द्रीहस्ताग्रविमुक्तेन तथापरे॥४०॥

केचिद्विनेशुरसुराः केचिन्नष्टा महाहवात्।
भक्षिताश्चापरे कालीशिवदूतीमृगाधिपैः॥ॐ॥४१॥

इति श्रीमार्कण्डेयपुराणे सावर्णिके मन्वन्तरे देवीमाहात्म्ये
निशुम्भवधो नाम नवमोऽध्यायः॥९॥

Meaning – Durga Saptashati Chapter 9

The king (Suratha) said:

‘Wonderful is this that you, adorable sir, have related to me about the greatness of the Devi’s act in slaying Raktabija.

‘I wish to hear further what the very irate Sumbha and Nisumbha did after Raktabija was killed.’ The Rishi said:

After Raktabija was slain and other asuras were killed in the fight, the asura Sumbha and Nisumbha gave way to unbounded wrath.

Enraged on seeing his great army slaughtered, Nisumbha then rushed forward with the chief forces of the asuras.

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

Sumbha also, mighty in valour, went forward, surrounded, with his own troops to slay Chandika in this rage, after fighting with the Matrs.

Then commenced severe combat between the Devi on one side and on the other, Sumbha and Nisumbha who, like two thunder-clouds, rained a most tempestuous shower of arrows on her.

Chandika with numerous arrows quickly split the arrows shot by the two asuras and smote the two lords of asuras on their limbs with her mass of weapons.

Nisumbha, grasping a sharp sword and a shining shield, struck the lion, the great carrier of the Devi on the head.

When her carrier was struck, the Devi quickly cut Nisumbha’s superb sword with a sharp-edged arrow and also his shield on which eight moons were figured.

When his shield was slit and his sword too broken, the asura hurled his spear; and that missile also, as it advanced towards her, was split into two by her discus.

Then the danava Nisumbha, swelling with wrath, seized a dart; and that also, as it came, the Devi powdered with a blow of her fist.

Then brandishing his club, he flung it against Chandika; cleft by the trident of the Devi, it also turned to ashes.

Then the Devi assailed the heroic danava advancing with battle-axe in hand, and laid him low on the ground.

When his brother Nisumbha of terrific prowess fell to the ground, (Sumbha) got infuriated in the extreme, and strode forward to slay Ambika.

Standing in his chariot and grasping excellent weapons in his long and incomparable eight arms, he shone by pervading the entire sky.

Seeing him approaching, the Devi blew her conch, and made a twang of her bow-string, which was unbearable in the extreme.

And (the Devi) filled all directions with the ringing of her bell, which destroys the strength of all the daitya hosts.

The lion filled the heaven, the earth and the ten quarters of the sky with loud roars, which made the elephants give up their violent rut.

Then Kali, springing upwards in the sky, (came down) and struck the earth with both her hands; by its noise all the previous sounds were drowned.

Sivaduti made a loud ominous peal of laughter, the asuras were frightened by those sounds, and Sumbha flew into an utmost rage.

As Ambika said, ‘O evil-natured one, stop, stop’, the devas stationed in the sky cheered her with the words, ‘Be victorious’.

The spear, flaming most terribly and shining like a mass of fire, which Sumbha approaching hurled was, as it was coming along, put out by a great firebrand (from the Devi).

The interspace between the three worlds was pervaded by Sumbha’s lion-like roar, but the dreadful thunder-clap ( of the Devi) smothered that, O King.

The Devi split the arrows shot by Sumbha, and Sumbha also split the arrows discharged by her, (each with her and his) sharp arrows in hundreds and thousands.

Then Chandika became angry and smote him with a trident. Wounded therewith, he fainted and fell to the ground.

Then Nisumbha, regaining consciousness seized his bow and struck with arrows the Devi and Kali and the lion

And the danuja-lord, the son of Diti, putting forth a myriad arms, covered Chandika with myriad discuses.

Then Bhagavati Durga, the destroyer of difficulties and afflictions, became angry and split those discuses and those arrows with her own arrows.

Thereupon Nisumbha, surrounded by the daitya host, swiftly seizing his club, rushed at Chandika to sly her.

As he was just rushing at her, Chandika colve his club with her sharp-edged sword; and her took hold of a dart.

As Nisumbha, the afflictor of the devas, was advancing with the dart in hand, Chandika pierced him in the heart with a swiftly hurled dart.

From his (Nisumbha’s) heart that was pierced by the dart, issued forth another person of great strength and valour, exclaiming (at the Devi) ‘Stop.’

Then the Devi, laughing aloud, severed the head of him, who issued forth, with her sword. Thereupon he fell to the ground.

The lion then devoured those asuras whose necks he had crushed with his fierce teeth, and Kali and Sivaduti devoured others.

Some great asuras perished, being pierced through by the spear if Kaumari. Others were repulsed by (sprinkling of ) the water purified by the incantation of Brahmani.

Others fell, pierced by a trident wielded by Mahesvari; some were powdered on the ground by the blows from the snout of Varahi.

Some danavas were cut to pieces by the discus of Vaisnavi, and others again by the thunderbolt discharged from the palm of Aindri.

Some asuras perished (themselves), some fled from the great battle, and others were devoured by Kali, Sivaduti and the lion.

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