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When Bhagavati’s conch rang out across the battlefield, Raktabija heard that fearsome note and rushed at great speed toward Chamunda, speaking in a sweet voice. “O maiden, do you take me for the coward Dhumralochana? My name is Raktabija. If you long for a fight, then ready yourself.” Then he struck up the same old tune, that in this world the two great rasas are romance and repose, that joy is found only in union, and that she should therefore take some mighty hero, Shumbha or Nishumbha, for her husband. His words made Chamunda, Kalika, and Ambika laugh. In a voice deep as thunderclouds Bhagavati said, “I have already told your envoy that I will choose whichever man in the three worlds equals me in beauty, strength, and splendor. Go and tell Shumbha and Nishumbha that I have taken such a vow; now either fight me, or go down to the netherworld along with your masters.”
The Coming of the Mother Powers
Hearing this, Raktabija filled with rage and began loosing arrows at the Goddess’s lion; Ambika pierced him through with sharp arrows honed on stone, and he fell senseless onto his chariot. Seeing their commander down, the demon army raised a cry of dismay. Then Shumbha flung his whole fourfold army into the fight, the demons of the Kamboja land and the Kalakeya warriors among them. Seeing that frenzied host advance, Chandika sounded her bell again and again, twanged her bowstring, and blew her conch, and Kali too opened her mouth wide and let out a terrible roar. Hearing that fearsome sound, the Goddess’s lion began to roar as well.
At that very moment the Shaktis of Brahma and the other gods arrived beside Chandika, each bearing the form and the mount of the god from whom she came. Brahmani came seated on a swan, carrying a rosary and a water pot; Vaishnavi came mounted on Garuda, bearing conch, discus, mace, and lotus; Maheshvari came riding a bull, holding a trident, a crescent moon on her brow and serpents coiled as bracelets on her wrists; Kaumari came on a peacock with a spear in hand, Aindri on a white elephant wielding the thunderbolt, Varahi in boar form seated upon a corpse, Narasimhi in a form like the man-lion, Yamya on a buffalo bearing a staff, and Varuni and Kauberi too took their places on the field, each with her own host. With a mere sprinkle of water from her pot, Brahmani drained the life from mighty demons; Maheshvari destroyed the demons with her trident, Vaishnavi with her mace and discus, Aindri with her thunderbolt, Varahi with her tusks, and Narasimhi with her claws. Kaumari felled them with sharp arrows, Varuni by binding them in her noose, and Shivaduti by nothing more than her booming laugh, while Chamunda and Kalika devoured them.
Shiva Becomes the Goddess’s Messenger
Shiva, the well-wisher of all the worlds, came with these Shaktis and said to Chandika that, for the sake of the gods’ work, she should destroy Shumbha, Nishumbha, and the whole host of asuras. At that a most terrible Shakti sprang from Chandika’s body, giving out a sound like hundreds of she-jackals howling as one. With a faint smile that Shakti said to the five-faced Shiva, “O God of gods, become my messenger and go to Shumbha, and tell him in my words to leave heaven and go down to the netherworld where Prahlada and Bali dwell, or, if he wishes to fight, to come and meet his death.” Because Bhagavati made Shiva her messenger, she became renowned throughout the three worlds by the name Shivaduti. Shankara went into Shumbha’s court and delivered the message; the moment the demons heard those harsh words, they buckled on their armor, took up their weapons, and marched out to war.
Raktabija’s Blood and Kali’s Thirst
Now that same Raktabija planted himself once more on the battlefield, and with him came the strange boon Shankara had once granted him: from every drop of blood that fell from his body to the earth, a demon as mighty as himself would spring up at once. When the Shakti Vaishnavi struck him with her discus, a stream of blood ran from the wound, like red ochre pouring down a mountain. Wherever the drops touched the ground, thousands of demons of his own size rose up in that very place. Aindri struck him with her thunderbolt, Brahmani with the staff of Brahma, Maheshvari with her trident, and Kaumari with her spear, but every blow only spilled more blood and raised fresh Raktabijas. The whole world filled with them. Seeing this, the gods were gripped by fear.
Then Bhagavati Ambika said to the lotus-eyed Kalika, “O Chamunda, open your mouth wide and drink the blood my weapons draw before a single drop can reach the ground; and range across the field, devouring the demons as you go. I will strike these demons down with arrows, mace, sword, and pestle; when not one drop falls, no new demons will be born, and their ruin is certain.” Chamunda began to drink all the blood that flowed from Raktabija’s body and to eat the limbs as they were cut away. She killed every new Raktabija born of his blood and drank their blood too. When all the counterfeit Raktabijas were finished, she struck down the true Raktabija himself with her sword, hacked him into many pieces, and let him fall to the ground. The demons who were left fled in terror to Shumbha and told him that Ambika had killed Raktabija and Chamunda had drunk all his blood; make peace now, they said, for enmity with this Goddess was not wise. But Shumbha would not listen, and he sent Nishumbha with an army into the fight.
The Slaying of Nishumbha
Nishumbha reached the field and began to rain down arrows. Chandika took up her finest bow, laughed aloud, and said to Kali, “Kali, look at the folly of these two. They have seen how Raktabija ended, and still, bewitched by my maya, they hope for victory.” Bhagavati’s lion began to churn the ocean of the demon army and to tear the demons apart with claws and teeth, as though they were rutting elephants, and to devour them. Then the Goddess said to Nishumbha, “Wretch, if you wish to live, lay down your weapons and go to the netherworld; otherwise die on my arrows and go to heaven.” Drunk on his own pride, Nishumbha charged with a sharp sword and a shield called Ashtachandra, and struck at the head of the lion and of Bhagavati. Bhagavati blocked his blow with her mace and struck his shoulder with her battle-axe; then, sounding her bell, she drank wine again and again. When Nishumbha raised his mace to strike once more, the Goddess said, “Dull-witted one, wait a moment, only until my sword reaches your neck; after that you will surely arrive in the city of Yama.” So saying, Chandika fixed her whole mind on the stroke and cut off Nishumbha’s head with her sword. The monstrous trunk, its head gone, whirled about for a while with the mace still in its grip; then the Goddess cut away both his arms and legs with her arrows, and that mountainous demon fell lifeless.
The End of Shumbha
When word came that his brother had been killed, the soldiers who remained begged Shumbha to flee, but Shumbha said that death is certain for whatever is born; even Brahma, Vishnu, and Shankara perish when their time comes, so why should he throw away his lasting glory for the sake of this passing body? With that he set out with his fourfold army toward the Himalaya, where Bhagavati, the rider of the lion, was seated. The instant he saw that surpassing beauty, Shumbha was struck by the arrows of desire and began to taunt her: war was no dharma for women; her eyes were her only arrows and her brows her only bow; if she truly meant to fight, let her turn herself into an ugly woman with long lips, hideous teeth, and cat-like eyes, and only then would his hand rise against her. Bhagavati smiled and said, “Dull-witted one, why do you grieve, bewildered by the arrows of desire? First fight Kalika or Chamunda; I stand here only as a spectator.” Then she told Kalika to kill this demon in battle.
Kalika, the very image of Time, took up her mace and set herself carefully on the field. Shumbha struck at her with his mace, but Chandi shattered his golden chariot to fragments and struck down his charioteer. Then Shumbha, roaring with laughter, fell on foot upon Kalika’s chest with his mace; Kalika turned the blow aside and with her sword cut off his left arm, still smeared with sandal paste. Arm gone and chariot lost, drenched in blood, Shumbha still charged with his mace, and Kalika, laughing, cut off his right arm as well, the one adorned with an armlet. Then, when he came on to strike with his feet, she cut off both his legs too. Arms and legs severed, still crying “Wait, wait,” he lunged at her, and Kalika cut off his lotus-like head; an endless torrent of blood poured from his throat, and mountainous Shumbha fell to the ground and lay lifeless. Seeing the demon king dead, all the gods with Indra among them began to praise Chamunda and Kalika; a gentle wind began to blow, the quarters of the sky grew clear, and the surviving demons bowed to Jagadamba, laid down their weapons, and departed for the netherworld.
This same story appears in the Devi Mahatmya as well, though this account in the Devi Bhagavata has its own manner and its own fuller sweep.
Source: Srimad Devi Bhagavata Mahapurana (Gita Press, Gorakhpur)