॥Durga Saptashati
|| ‘Ninth Chapter’ ||
Chapter 9 :
The Slaying of Nishumbha
॥ Dhyana (Meditation) ॥
I constantly take refuge in the divine form of Ardhanarishvara. His complexion is a reddish-yellow mixture, like the Bandhuka flower and gold. He holds a beautiful rosary (akshamala), a noose (pasha), an elephant goad (ankusha), and the boon-bestowing gesture (varada mudra) in his arms; the crescent moon is his ornament, and he is adorned with three eyes.
The King said -॥ Bhagavan! You have recounted to me this wondrous greatness of the Devi’s exploits, which is related to the slaying of Raktabija.
Now, after Raktabija was killed, I wish to hear what action Shumbha and Nishumbha, filled with extreme rage, performed.
The Rishi said -॥ Rajan! With Raktabija and the other demons slain in battle, the wrath of Shumbha and Nishumbha knew no bounds.
Seeing his vast army being destroyed in this manner, Nishumbha, filled with fury, rushed towards the Devi. He was accompanied by the main army of the Asuras.
In front, behind, and on both sides of him were mighty Asuras, who came biting their lips in anger, intent on killing the Devi.
The mighty warrior Shumbha, too, having fought with the Matriganas (Mother Goddesses) along with his army, arrived in a rage to kill Chandika.
Then, a fierce battle commenced between the Devi and Shumbha and Nishumbha. Those two demons were showering a terrible rain of arrows, like clouds.
Chandika immediately cut down the arrows launched by both of them with her own multitude of arrows, and also wounded the limbs of those two lords of the demons by showering groups of weapons.
Nishumbha took a sharp sword and a shining shield and struck the head of the Devi’s excellent vehicle, the lion.
When her vehicle was wounded, the Devi immediately cut off Nishumbha’s excellent sword with an arrow named Kṣurapra (razor-edged), and also broke his shield, which was studded with eight moons, into pieces.
With his shield and sword cut, that Asura hurled a shakti (spear/javelin), but the Devi cut it into two pieces with her discus as it approached.
Now Nishumbha was burning with rage, and that Danava raised a shoola (trident) to strike the Devi; but the Devi crushed it with her fist as it came near.
Then he swung a gada (mace) and hurled it at Chandi, but that too was cut and reduced to ashes by the Devi’s trident.
Thereafter, seeing Nishumbha, the king of the Daityas, advancing with an axe in hand, the Devi wounded him with groups of arrows and laid him down on the earth.
When his terribly powerful brother Nishumbha fell to the ground, Shumbha became extremely angry and advanced to kill Ambika.
Seated on his chariot, with his eight unparalleled great arms adorned with excellent weapons, covering the entire sky, he appeared in a wondrous glory.
Seeing him approach, the Devi blew her conch and also made an exceedingly unbearable sound from the string of her bow. At the same time, she filled all directions with the sound of her bell, which was capable of destroying the energy of all the demon soldiers.
Thereafter, the lion also roared, a sound that dispelled the great pride of even mighty elephants, and echoed through the sky, the earth, and the ten directions.
Then Kali leapt into the sky and struck the earth with both her hands. The dreadful sound produced by this quieted all the previous sounds.
Subsequently, Shivaduti let out a terrifying, inauspicious burst of laughter for the demons. Hearing these sounds, all the Asuras trembled; but Shumbha was greatly enraged.
At that moment, when the Devi aimed at Shumbha and said, ‘O wicked soul! Stop, stop,’ the gods standing in the sky exclaimed, ‘Victory! Victory!’
Shumbha came there and hurled an exceedingly terrifying shakti (spear) endowed with flames. The Devi pushed away that shakti, which was coming like a mountain of fire, with a very large burning torch (luka).
At that time, the three worlds resounded with Shumbha’s lion-roar. Rajan! The echo of it produced a sound as terrifying as a thunderbolt, which surpassed all other sounds.
The Devi cut into hundreds and thousands of pieces the arrows shot by Shumbha, and Shumbha similarly cut the arrows shot by the Devi with his terrifying arrows.
Then, Chandika, filled with rage, struck Shumbha with her shoola (trident). Stunned by the impact, he fell to the ground.
In the meantime, Nishumbha regained consciousness, took his bow, and wounded the Devi, Kali, and the lion with arrows.
Then that king of the Daityas created ten thousand arms and covered Chandika with the attack of his chakras (discus).
Then the Bhagavati Durga, who destroys difficult affliction, became angry and cut down those chakras and arrows with her own arrows.
Seeing this, the demon Nishumbha, accompanied by his army, rushed forward with great speed, holding a mace, to kill Chandika.
As he approached, Chandi swiftly cut down his mace with her sharp-edged sword. Then he took a shoola (trident) in his hand.
Seeing Nishumbha, the tormentor of the gods, approaching with a shoola in hand, Chandika pierced his chest with her own shoola, which was hurled with great force.
As his chest was torn open by the shoola, another exceedingly mighty and powerful man emerged from his body, saying, ‘Stop, stop.’
Hearing the words of that emerging man, the Devi burst into laughter and cut off his head with her sword. Then he too fell to the ground.
Thereafter, the lion began to crush the necks of the Asuras with its fangs and devour them; this was a very terrifying sight. On the other side, Kali and Shivaduti also began to consume the other demons.
Several great Daityas were destroyed, torn apart by the Shakti (power) of Kaumari. Several fled, becoming powerless by the water consecrated with Mantras by Brahmani.
Several demons, cut into pieces by the Trishoola (trident) of Maheshwari, lay fallen on the earth. Several had their bodies crushed on the ground by the impact of Varahi’s snout.
Vaishnavi also tore the Danavas into pieces with her discus. Many lost their lives due to the thunderbolt released from Aindri’s hand.
Some Asuras were destroyed, some fled from that great battle, and many became the prey of Kali, Shivaduti, and the lion.
Thus, in the Shrimarkandeya Purana, in the narrative of the Savarnika Manvantara,
The ninth chapter titled ‘The Slaying of Nishumbha’ in the Devi Mahatmya is completed.
