Devi Mahatmyam

DEVI MAHATMYAM

Chapter 3: Killing of Mahishasura.

1.    Rishir Uvacha:-

       Nihanyamanam that sainyamavalokya mahasura,

       senani chikshura kopadhyaou yodhumambikaam.

The sage said:-

Afterwards seeing that the entire army of Mahishasura was destroyed, A commander of their army known as Chikshura started for war against the goddess.

2.    Saa deveem sara varshena va varsha samare asura,

       Yadha meru gire srungam thoya varshena thoyadha.

In that war, that Chikshura rained arrows at her similar to the torrential rain of water covering the peaks of Meru Mountain

3.    Thasya Chithwa thatho devi leelayeva saroth karaan,

       Jagana thuragan banairyanthaaram chaiva vajinaam.

Afterwards the goddess as if she was playing, cutoff his crowd of arrows and killed his horses and horseman.

4.    Chichedha cha dhanu sadhyo dwajam chaadhi samuchridham,

       Vivyadha chaiva gathreshu chinna dhanwa namausugai.

Then the Goddess cut of his bow and flag post of his chariot and hit him in all his organs by arrows.

5.    Sa Chinadhanwa, viradho, hathaswo hatha saradhi,

       Abhyadavadha thaam devim gadga charmadharo asura.

That Asura whose bow was cut, whose chariot was broken, whose horse was killed and whose chariot driver was killed ran towards her with a sword and a shield.

6.    Simhamahathya gadgena, theeshna dharena moordhani,

       Jajwalyamanam thejobhi ravi bhimbha mivambharan.

That Asura called Chikshura who was a commander wounded the lion on his head by the sword and hit the Goddess on her left hand.

7.    Thasya Gadgo bhujam prapya paphala nrupa nandana,

       thatho jagraha soolam sa kopadh aruna lochana.

Hey king, that sword reaching the arm of the Goddess broke in to pieces and he with red eyes due to extreme anger took the spear.

8.    Chiksepa cha thathasthathu Bhadrakalyaam mahasura,

       Jajwalyamanam thejobhi ravi bimbha mivambarath.

Afterwards that great Asura reached the sky and like the shining sun of the sky threw that shining spear at the good giving Goddess.

9.    Drushtwa thadapathascsulam devi soolamamunchadha,

       Thena thaccha thadha neetham soolam sa cha mahasura.

Seeing the spear thrown by the Asura coming towards her, she sent her spear and split in to hundred that spear as well as that great Asura.

10.  Hathe thasmin maha veerye, mahishasya chamoopathou,

       Aajagama gajarudaan Chamara tridasardhana

Seeing that, that very strong commander in chief of Mahishasura was killed by her. One Asura called Chamara came riding on an elephant.

11.  Sopi shakthim mumochadha devyasthamambika drutham,

       Hungararibi hatham bhoomou pathayamasa nishprabham.

Afterwards he too threw a spear at the Goddess. The Goddess after swiftly destroying it, made it loose the glitter and made it fall on to the earth.

12.  Bhagnam shakthim nipathitham drusthwa krodha samanvitha,

       Chikshepa chamara soolam ambanai sthadabhi saachinnath.

Chamara seeing that his spear was destroyed, threw the trident and the Goddess cut it off with her arrows.

13.  Thatha simha samuthpathya gaja kumbhandhara sthidha,

       Bahu yuddhena yuyudhe thenochai thridasaarina.

Afterwards that lion jumped up to a great height and standing on the forehead of the elephant fought with the Asura using its hands.

14.  Yudhyamanou thathasthou thu tasmanaganmaheem gathou,

       Yuyudhathe athi samrabdhou praharairathi darunai.

Afterwards they (Lion and Chamara) who were fighting jumped to the earth from the elephant and with great anger continued the horrific fighting with slaps. (Note that in most of the places where wresting is done, the Goddess does not take part. )

15.  Thado vegath gamuthpathya nipathya cha mriagarina,,

       Karapraharena siraschamarasya pradhakrutham.

Then they both jumped on to the sky and again fell down. Then by a hit of the hand, the lion separated the head of Chamara from his trunk.

16.  Udagrascha rane devya Shila vrakshadhibhir hatha,

       Danda mushti thalaischaiva karalascha nipathitha.

In the war Udagra was also killed by stones and trees and Karala was killed by teeth, fist and palm.

(Some people interpret instead of “teeth, fist and Palm”, sword whose handle was made of ivory. )

17.  Devi krudha gadha pathai choornayamasa chodhatham,

       Bashkalam bindhipalena banaisthamram thadandhakam.

18.  Ugrasya mugra veeryam cha thadiva cha Maha hanum,

       Trinethra cha trishoolena jagana Parameshwari.

The Goddess with great anger powdered Udhatha with hits from her mace. The three eyed goddess of every one, killed Bashkala with her scythe. With her arrows Thamra and Andhaka, with her trident Ugrasya, Ugraveera and Maha Hanu.

19.  Bidlasyaasina kayath pathayamasa vai sira,

       Durdharam durmugam chobhou sarair ninye yama kshayam.

With sword she separated the head of Bidala from his body and famously made it fall and with arrows she sent Durdhara and Durmukha to the place of God of death.

20.  Evam Samksheeyamano thu swasainye Mahishasura,

       Mahishena swaroopena trasayamasa thaan ganan.

When his army was thus being vanquished Mahishasura took the shape of a buffalo and scared the army of the Goddess.

21.  Kaschit thunda praharena Khurakshepai sthadhaparaan,

       Langula thadithamschanyan srungabhyam cha vidharithaan

22.  Vegena kamschid aparan nadena bramanena cha,

       Niswasa pavanonyan pathayamasa bhoothale.

Mahishasura hit some with his face, some others he stamped with his hoof, some others he beat with his tail, some by tearing with his horns, some he fell on the ground because of his speed, some by sound, some by his movement and some by his breath.

23.  Nipaathya pramadhaneeka mabhyadhavatha soasura,

       Simham hanthum maha devya kopam chakre thathombika.

After felling her army he ran towards the lion to kill it and this made the Goddess angry.

24.  So api kopaan maha veerya Ghurakshanna mahee thala,

       Srungabhyaam Parvathan uchamscchikshepa cha nanadha cha.

He who is very strong became very angry and by tearing the earth by his front hoof threw the mountains by his two horns and shrieked.

25.  Vega bramana vikshunna mahii thasya vyaseeryatha,

       Langulenahthaschabdhi plavayamasa sarvatha.

Due to his fast rotation the earth was broken and the ocean which was beaten by his tail rose up and drowned every one.

26.  Duthasrunga vibhinnascha Gandam Gandam yuyurghana,

       Swasa anilastha sathaso nipethurnnabhaso achala.

The clouds, which were moved by his horns, broke in to pieces and the mountains, which were blown by his breath, fell into innumerable pieces.

27.  Ithi krodha samadhmaatha maapadantham Mahasura,

       Drushtwa saa chandika kopam thadwadhaya thadakaroth.

Seeing the Mahishasura who was burning with anger and running towards her, that Chandika became angry and decided to kill him.

28.  Saa kshipthwa thasya vai paasam tham babandha mahasuram,

       Thathyaja mahishamroopam so api bhadho mahamrudhe.

In that Great War That Goddess threw the famous Pasa (literally rope) and tied that great Asura. Though he was tied he gave up the form of the buffalo

29.  Thatha Simho abhavadsadhyo yavathambhika sira,

       Chinnathi thavaht purusha Gadgapaniradhursyadha.

Afterwards that Asura swiftly became lion and when she was cutting his head, then he was seen as a male who was holding a sword.

30.  Thatha evasu purusham devi chichedha sayakai,

       Tham gadga charmana saardham thatha so aboon maha gaja.

Afterwards the Goddess cut the head of the man with a sword and shield by using swift arrows. Then from that man he became a very big elephant.

31.  Karena cha maha simham tham chakarsha jagarja cha,

       Karshathasthu karam devi gadgena nirakrunthatha.

He (with form of an elephant) with his huge trunk pulled that great lion and trumpeted. But the Goddess cut off his pulling trunk using the sword.

32.  Thatho mahasuro bhooyo maahisham vapurasthitha,

       Thadiva Kshobhayamasa trilokyam sa characharam.

Afterwards that Great Asura again took the form of Buffalo and shook the entire world with all its beings.

33.  Thatha Krudha Jaganmatha chandika panamuthamam,

       Papow puna punaschaiwa jahasa aruna lochana.

Afterwards that Goddess Chandika who was the mother of the entire world, with great anger and with blood shot eyes, drank high quality wine and again and again laughed.

34.  Nanardha chaasura sopi bala veerya madhodadhada,

       Varshanabhyam cha chiksepa chandikaam prathi bhoodaraan.

That Asura who was ferociously agile due to his great strength shouted at her and threw mountains at her with his horns.

35.  Saa cha thaan prahithaamsthena choornayanthi saroth karai,

       Uvacha tham Madhoduddha muga raga kulaksharam.

That Goddess made in to powder, mountains thrown at her and with reddish face and with unclear words told him.

(Reddish face and unclear words were as a result of wine. )

36.  Devyuvacha:-

       Garja Garja kshanam mooda madhu yavath pibamyaham,

       Maya twayi hathe athraiva garjishyanthyasu devatha.

The Goddess told:-

       Hey Idiot, You keep on roaring again and again for little more time till I drink this wine. When I kill you quickly these gods will roar with happiness.

37.  Rishir Uvacha:-

       Eva mukthwa samuth pathya saa rooda thaam mahasuram,

       Paadenakramya kante cha soole maina mathadayath.

The sage told:-

       After telling thus that Goddess climbed on the Asura and by oppressing him by her feet drove the spear in to him.

38.  Thatha soapi padakraantha sthaya nija mukha thatha,

       Ardha nishkantha evathi devya veeryena samvyatha.

Afterwards he being pressed by the feet of the Goddess tried to lift half of his body and face but was kept immobile by her.

39.  Ardha nishkantha eva sou yudhya mano mahasura,

       Thaya mahasina devya siraschithwa nipathitha.

That great Asura though he fought with half his body, was felled down by the goddess by cutting his head by the big sword.

40.  Thatho haha krutham sarvam dhaithya sainye nanasa thath,

       Praharsham cha param jagmu sakala devatha gana.

Afterwards that great Asura army ran away shouting,”Ha”, “Ha” and all the Gods attained great happiness.

41.  Thushtuvasthaam sura deveem saha divyair maharshibhi,

       Jagur gandarwa pathayo nanyuthuschapsa saro gana.

The gods along with sages in the heaven prayed that Goddess, the chiefs of gandarwas (celestial singers) sang about her and crowds of Apsaras (Deva dancers) danced.

Ithi Markandeya purane savarnike manwanthare,

       Devi Mahatmye,

       Mahishasura vadho nama,

       Trithiyo adhyaya,

This is the third chapter in Devi Mahatmya dealing with the killing of Mahishasura Occurring in the Savarnika period of Markandeya Purana.

(To be contd…..)