Durga Saptashati
|| ‘Tenth Chapter’ ||
Chapter 10:
The Slaying of Shumbha
॥ Dhyana (Meditation) ॥
I meditate in my heart upon the revered Kameshwari, the very form of Shiva-Shakti, who wears a crescent moon on her forehead. She is beautiful like refined gold. The Sun, Moon, and Fire are her three eyes, and she holds a bow, arrow, goad, noose, and trident in her enchanting hands.
The Rishi said: O King! Seeing his brother Nishumbha, who was dear as his own life, slain, and knowing the destruction of his entire army, Shumbha became furious and said:
‘Wicked Durga! Do not show false pride under the arrogance of your strength. You are very conceited, but you fight by taking the support of the strength of other women.’
The Devi replied: O wicked one! I am alone. Who else is there in this world besides me? Behold, these are my own powers (Vibhutis), and they are now entering back into me.
Thereafter, all the Goddesses, led by Brahmani, merged into the body of Goddess Ambika. At that time, only Goddess Ambika remained.
The Devi said: I was present here in many forms through my power of divine sovereignty (Aishwarya Shakti). I have withdrawn all those forms. Now I stand alone in battle. You too, stand firm.
The Rishi said: Thereafter, a terrible battle broke out between the Devi and Shumbha, witnessed by all the gods and Asuras.
Due to the shower of arrows and the blows of sharp weapons and dreadful missiles, their combat seemed very frightening to all people.
The Daitya King Shumbha countered the hundreds of divine weapons that Goddess Ambika discharged at that time with neutralising missiles.
Similarly, the divine weapons that Shumbha discharged were destroyed by the Supreme Goddess playfully, merely by uttering a terrifying roar (Humkara) and other means.
Then, that Asura covered the Devi with hundreds of arrows. Seeing this, the Devi, filled with anger, cut his bow with her arrows.
When his bow was cut, the Daitya King took a Shakti (spear) in his hand, but the Devi also cut down the Shakti in his hand with her discus.
Subsequently, Shumbha, the lord of the Daityas, took a shield shining with a hundred moons and a sword in his hand and rushed at the Devi.
As he advanced, Chandika immediately cut down his shield and sword, which were bright like the rays of the sun, with sharp arrows released from her bow.
Then the horses and charioteer of that Daitya were killed, and his bow had been cut down earlier. Now, preparing to strike Ambika, he took a formidable club (Mudgara) in his hand.
Seeing him approach, the Devi also cut down his club with her sharp arrows, yet that Asura, brandishing his fist, rushed towards the Devi with great speed.
That Daitya King struck the Devi’s chest with his fist, and then the Devi also struck his chest with a slap.
Struck by the Devi’s slap, the Daitya King Shumbha fell to the ground, but then suddenly rose up and stood as before.
Then he leaped up and, taking the Devi with him, stood in the sky; then Chandika fought with Shumbha in the sky as well, without any support.
At that time, the Daitya and Chandika fought each other in the sky. Their battle at first astonished the Siddhas and Munis.
Then, after fighting with Shumbha for a long time, Ambika lifted him up, whirled him around, and hurled him down to the earth.
After falling down to the earth from being hurled, that evil-minded Daitya again rushed towards Chandika with great speed to slay her.
Then, seeing Shumbha, the king of all Daityas, coming towards her, the Devi pierced his chest with a trident and cast him to the ground.
Pierced by the sharp point of the Devi’s spear, his life departed, and he fell upon the earth, shaking the entire globe, including the oceans, islands, and mountains.
Thereafter, when that wicked soul was slain, the entire world became joyful and perfectly healthy, and the sky appeared clear.
The portentous clouds and meteor showers that used to occur before all subsided, and the rivers began to flow in their proper courses after that Daitya was killed.
At that time, after Shumbha’s death, the hearts of all the gods were filled with joy, and the Gandharvas began to sing sweet songs.
Other Gandharvas played musical instruments, and Apsaras began to dance. A pure breeze began to blow. The sun’s radiance became excellent.
The extinguished fire of the sacrificial halls spontaneously ignited, and the dreadful sounds from all directions were silenced.
Thus, in the Shri Markandeya Purana, in the Devi Mahatmya, which is part of the narrative of the Savarnika Manvantara, the tenth chapter named ‘The Slaying of Shumbha’ is completed.
