Devi Mahatmyam

Devi Mahatmyam

Chapter 9: Killing of Nishumbha.

1.    Rajo Uvacha:-

       Vichithramidhamaakhyatham bhagawan bhawatha mama,

       Devyascharitha mahatmyam raktha bheeja vadhasritham.

The king told:-

Hey god like sage, You have told me till now the strange story of the great Goddess which includes the killing of Raktha Bheeja.

2.    Bhooyaschechamyaham srothum raktha bheejenipathithe,

       Chakara shumbho yath karma nishumbaschthi kopana.

We wish to hear the story of what the angry Shumbha and Nishumbha did when Raktha Bheeja was killed.

3.    Rishir Uvacha:-

       Chakara kopa mathulam raktha bheeje nipathithe,

       Shumbhasuro nishumbhascha hatheshwanyeshu chaahave.

The sage told:-

When Raktha Bheeja fell in the war, and also when other asuras were killed, Shumbha and Nishumba got unmatchable anger.

4.    Hanyamanam maha sainyam vilokyaa marsha mudhwahan,

       Abhyadawn nishumbho Adha mukhyaya asura senaya.

Afterwards Nishumbha seeing that great part of his army has been killed, became very angry and with his Asura army marched towards the Goddess for war.

5.    Tasyagathasthadha prushte parsvyaoscha mahasura,

       Sadashtoushtaputa krudha hanthum devi mupayayu.

In front and behind him, ran several great asuras for killing the Goddess with biting lips.

6.    Ajagama maha veerya Shumbho api swabalair vrutha,

       Nihanthum chandikam kopath kruthwa yudham mathrubhi.

That great valorous Shumbha surrounded by his great army fought with the seven mother goddesses and because of anger came to kill Goddess Chandika.

7.    Tatho yudhamathee vaasi devyo Shumbha Nishumbhayo,

       Sarvashamathivogram meghayoriva varshatha.

Then Shumbha and Nishumbha raining arrows like two raining clouds began a big war with the goddess.

8.    Chichedasthamcharamsthabhyam chandika swasarolkkarai.

       Thadayamasa changeshu sasthroughaira sureswarou.

That goddess cut off all the arrows sent by both of them and also punished them severely by arrows and other weapons.

9.    Nishumbho nishitham gadgam charma chaadhaya suprabham,

       Athadayan moordhini simham devya vahanamuthamam.

Nishumbha took a sharp sword and shield and hit at the forehead of the great steed of the goddess.

10.  Thadithe vahane devi kshuraprenasimuthamam,

       Nishumbhasyashu chichedha charma chapyashta chandrakam.

Seeing her steed (, the lion) was hurt, that goddess with an arrow broke the Nishumbha’s special sword and shield in which eight moons were drawn.

11.  Chinne charmani gadge cha shakthim chikshepa so asura,

       Thamapyasya dwidhachakre chakrenabhimukhagathaam.

Seeing that he lost his sword and shield, Nishumbha opposed her with a spear. The goddess cut it off with her holy wheel.

12.  Kopamadhmatho Nishumbho adha soolam jagraha dhanava,

       Ayantham mushtipathena devi tachapyachoornayath.

Then Nishumbha who was shining because of his anger threw the trident against her and she powdered it in to pieces by her fist itself.

13.  Aavidhyadha gadaam so api chikshepa chandikaam prathi,

       Saapi devya trishulena bhinna basmathwamagadha.

Afterwards he rotated his mace and threw it in the direction of the goddess and that mace was broken by the trident of the goddess and turned in to ashes.

14.  Thatha parasu hastham thamayantham daithyapungavam,

       Aahathya devi banau ghairapathayatha bhoothale.

Then the Asura came with an axe towards the Goddess and she felled him to the ground by her arrows.

15.  Tasminnipathithe bhoomou Nishumbhe Bheema Vikrame,

       Braharyatheeva samkrudha prayayou Yodhumambhikam.

Seeing that his greatly valorous brother Nishumbha has fallen on the ground, Shumbha went for fighting with the Goddess with great anger.

16.  Sa radhasthadh atyuchair ugrageetha paramayudhai,

       Bhujai ashatabir athulyair vyapyasesham bhabou nabha.

Then riding on a charriot and armed with several specialised weapons he appeared to have spread through out the sky using his eight hands.

17.  Thamayantham samalokhya devi sankhamavadhyath,

       Jyasabdham danushchakaratheeva dussaham.

That goddess seeing him coming, blew her conch and twanged her bow string and produced a sound which was intolerable.

18.  Poorayamasa kakubho nija gandaswanena cha,

       Samastha daithya sainyanam thejo vadha vidhayina.

She filled all the directions with the sound of her bell, which was capable of destroying the valour of all the asuras.

19.  Thatha simho mahanadhau sthyajithebha maha madhai,

       Poorayamasa gaganam gaam thadopadhiso dasa.

Afterwards that lion with a big roar capable of taming the enthusiasm of elephants filled the ten directions as well as the sky and the earth.

20.  Thatha kali samuthpathya gaganam kshmamathadayath,

       Karabhyam thanninadhena prak swanasthe thirohitha.

Then Chandika jumped up the sky and beat the earth with her hands and this sound made all the other previous sounds paler.

21.  Attattahasamashivam shivadhoothi chakara ha,

       Thai shabhdair asuraasthresu Shumbha kopam parama yayaou.

Then Goddess Shivadhoothi laughed very loudly with a horrifying sound and because of that sound the asuras were fear struck and Shumbha became very angry.

22.  Durathmasthishta thishtethi vyajaharambika yadha,

       Thadha jayethya abhihatham devair akasa samsthithai.

When the goddess cried, “Hey bad one stop, stop,” the devas who were standing in the sky shouted, “Victory, victory. ”

23.  Shumbhonagathya ya shakthirmuktha jwalathi bheeshana,

       aayanthi vahni kootabha sa nirastha maholkhaya.

That glittering spear which was thrown by Shumbha, after he went near her progressed like a fire ball but was destroyed by the Goddess using her weapon called “Maholkha”. (This is a great spear of the Goddess with great glittering light. )

24.  Simha nadena Shumbhasya vyaptham loka tryantharam,

       Nirghatha niswano ghoro jitha wan avanipathe.

Hey king the lion like roar of Shumbha spread throughout the three worlds and was greater in intensity than a terrible thunder.

25.  Shumbha mukthan saran devi shumbhasthath prahithan saran,

       Chichedha swa sarair ugrai sathasodha sahasrasa.

Then the arrows send by Shumbha and the arrows sent by the Goddess were cut using their arrows in hundreds and thousands by the Goddess and Shumbha respectively.

26.  Thatha saa chandika krudha soolena jagana thaam,

       Sa thadabi hatho bhoomou moorchitho nipapatha ha.

Then that Chandika with great anger hit Shumbha with her spear and he fainted and fell on the battle ground.

27.  Thatho Nishbha samprapya chetanamatha karmuka,

       Aajagana sarair devim kaleem kesarinam thadha.

At this time Nishumbha woke up from his faint and took his bows and punished the Goddess and her lion with his arrows. (See sloka 14 above)

28.  Punascha kruthwa bahunanayutam dhanujeswara,

       Chakrayuthena dhithijachadayamasa Chandikam.

By his magical powers, that lords of Asuras made ten thousand hands to him and covered the goddess with ten thousand wheels.

29.  Thatho Bhagawathi krudha durga durgarthi nasini,

       Chichedha thani chakrani swa sarai sayakamscha thaan.

Afterwards that Goddess Chandika who killed bad souls, became very angry and cut off all those wheels and arrows.

30.  Thatho Nishumbho vegena gadha maadhaya chandikam,

       Abhyadhavatha vai hanthum daithya sena samavrutha.

Then Nishumbha surrounded by the Asura army, took the mace marched to attack the goddess.

31.  Thasyapathatha evasu gadham chichedha Chandika,

       Gadgena shitha dharena sa cha soolam samadhadhe.

Even while he was approaching, goddess Chandika cut off his mace and then he armed himself with a spear.

32.  Soolahastham samayantham nishumbhamamarardhanam,

       Hrudhi vivyadha soolena vega vidhena chandika.

That Goddess punished Nishumbha who was the tormentor of devas and who was armed with a spear by throwing another spear at him.

33.  Binnasya tasya soolena hrudhaya nissrutho apara,

       Mahabalo maha veeryasthishtehi purusho vadan.

From Nishumbha, whose chest was torn, rose another very strong and very valorous man shouting, “stop, stop. ”(We should assume here that this man is his soul. )

34.  Thasya nishkramatho devi prahasya swanavathatha,

       Sira chichedha gadgena thatho asavapathath bhuvi.

Seeing this the Goddess laughed loudly and cut off his head by her sword and he fell on the ground.

35.  Thasya simhascha Khadhogra damshtra kshunna shirodharan,

       Asuram sthaam thadha kali shivadhoothi thadha aparan.

Then that lion ate several asuras whose neck was broken by its horrible teeth and Chamunda and Shivadhoothi also ate some more asuras.

36.  Kaumari shakthi nirbhinna kechinnesur maha sura,

       Brahmani mandhrapoothena thoyenanye nirakrutha.

Some great asuras died being broken by the spear of Kaumari and some others were benumbed by the holy water sprinkled by Brahmani.

37.  Maheswari trishoolena bhinna pethur sthadha apare,

       Varahi thunda gathena kechit choorneekrutha bhuvi.

Similarly many asuras fell torn by the trident of Maheswari and some by the dash of the face of Varahi.

38.  Gandam gandam cha chakrena vaishnavya dhanava krutha,

       Vajrena chaindre hasthagra vimukthena thadha apare.

Some were cut in to pieces after pieces by the holy wheel of Vaishnavi and others by the Vajrayudha thrown at them from the hands of Indri.

39.  Kechidwinesoorasura kechith nashata maha havath,

       Bakshithaschapare kali shiva dhoothi, mrugathipai.

Some asuras were destroyed in the great battle, some ran away and some of them were eaten by Kali and Shivadhoothi.

       Ithi Markandeya purane savarnike manwanthare,

       Devi Mahatmye,

       Nishmbha vadho Nama,

       Navamo adhyaya,

This is the ninth chapter in Devi Mahatmya dealing with the killing of Nishumbha Occurring in the Savarnika period of Markandeya Purana

(to be contd…..)