Devi Mahatmya
Chapter 5 · The “Ya Devi” Hymn and Shumbha’s Messenger · Final Carita
Shumbha and Nishumbha tore the three worlds from Indra and swallowed the gods’ shares of the yajna, and the shelterless gods climbed to the Himalaya to remember the Unconquered One who had promised to come at a single thought of her in a time of trouble. From their mouths rose the hymn that still fills every Durga puja, “Ya Devi sarva-bhuteshu.” Then Parvati came down to bathe, Kaushiki stepped forth from her body’s own sheath, Chanda and Munda caught sight of that matchless form, and Shumbha’s messenger arrived carrying an offer of marriage. In that moment the Devi pronounced the vow that pulls the whole story forward.
This was long ago, O king. Two asuras, Shumbha and Nishumbha, trusting to their own pride and their own strength, tore the three worlds away from Indra, the lord of Shachi, and took for themselves the gods’ shares of every yajna. From there they reached for the rest. They seized the office of the sun and the dominion of the moon; they took over the work of Kubera, of Yama, and of Varuna; they wielded the authority of the wind and the domain of fire; and the offices of all the remaining gods they ran with their own hands. So the gods were scattered, stripped of their sovereignty, beaten, and driven from place to place.
1 · 2 · 3
ऋषिरुवाच ।
पुरा शुम्भनिशुम्भाभ्यामसुराभ्यां शचीपतेः ।
त्रैलोक्यं यज्ञभागाश्च हृता मदबलाश्रयात् ॥ 1 ॥
तावेव सूर्यतां तद्वदधिकारं तथैन्दवम् ।
कौबेरमथ याम्यं च चक्राते वरुणस्य च ॥ 2 ॥
तावेव पवनर्धि च चक्रतुर्वह्निकर्म च ।
अन्येषाञ्चाधिकारान् स स्वयमेवाधितिष्ठति ।
ततो देवा विनिर्धूता भ्रष्टराज्याः पराजिताः ॥ 3 ॥
Their offices torn from them, set at nought on every side by those two great asuras, the thirty gods turned their minds to the goddess who is never conquered. They remembered the promise she had once given them: whenever calamity found them and they called her to mind, in that very instant she would put an end to their gravest distress. Holding that promise before them, the gods climbed to Himavat, the lord of mountains, and there they raised their hymn to her who is the illusive power of Vishnu.
4 · 5 · 6
हृताधिकारास्त्रिदशास्ताभ्यां सर्वे निराकृताः ।
महासुराभ्यां तां देवीं संस्मरन्त्यपराजिताम् ॥ 4 ॥
तयास्माकं वरो दत्तो यथाऽपत्सु स्मृताखिलाः ।
भवतां नाशयिष्यामि तत्क्षणात् परमापदः ॥ 5 ॥
इति कृत्वा मतिं देवा हिमवन्तं नगेश्वरम् ।
जग्मुस्तत्र ततो देवीं विष्णुमायां प्रतुष्टुवुः ॥ 6 ॥
The voice of the gods went up as a single cry. Salutation to the Devi, to the great Devi, to the auspicious one, salutation without end. Salutation to Prakriti, to the gracious Bhadra; disciplined and low, we bow before her. To the fierce one, to the eternal one, to Gauri, to Dhatri who upholds all, salutation and again salutation. To the Devi who is the very ground the world stands on, to Kritya who is action itself, salutation and again salutation. To moonlight, to her whose form is the moon, to happiness itself, salutation without end. To Kalyani, to the increase that comes to all who bow low, to Siddhi who brings them to fulfillment, salutation and again salutation.
7 · 8 · 9
देवा ऊचुः ।
नमो देव्यै महादेव्यै शिवायै सततं नमः ।
नमः प्रकृत्यै भद्रायै नियताः प्रणताः स्म ताम् ॥ 7 ॥
रौद्रायै नमो नित्यायै गौर्यै धात्र्यै नमो नमः ।
नमो जगत्प्रतिष्ठायै देव्यै कृत्यै नमो नमः ॥ 8 ॥
ज्योत्स्नायै चेन्दुरूपिण्यै सुखायै सततं नमः ।
कल्याण्यै प्रणतां वृद्ध्यै सिद्ध्यै कुर्मो नमो नमः ॥ 9 ॥
Then they called out to the faces that seem to war with one another, and called them all in a single breath, for they knew every one to be the same goddess. To Nairriti, to the good fortune that attends kings, to Sharvani, salutation and again salutation. To Durga, to the far shore that no hardship can keep us from reaching, to the essence within all things, to the maker of all. To Khyati who is fame, to Krishna the blue-black, to Dhumra the smoke-dark, salutation without end. Before her who is gentlest of the gentle and most terrible of the terrible at once they bowed low, and once more they spoke the line they kept returning to: to the Devi who is the ground the world stands on, to Kritya who is action itself, salutation and again salutation.
10 · 11
नैरृत्यै भूभृतां लक्ष्म्यै शर्वाण्यै ते नमो नमः ।
दुर्गायै दुर्गपारायै सारायै सर्वकारिण्यै ।
ख्यात्यै तथैव कृष्णायै धूम्रायै सततं नमः ॥ 10 ॥
अतिसौम्यातिरौद्रायै नतास्तस्यै नमो नमः ।
नमो जगत्प्रतिष्ठायै देव्यै कृत्यै नमो नमः ॥ 11 ॥
Now the hymn reached its very heart. From here it would name the one goddess in form after form, and after each name the gods let the same salutation fall three times over, a pulse that would not stop. The Devi who abides in all beings and is spoken of as the illusive power of Vishnu, she who lays Vishnu himself in his yoga-sleep and unrolls the whole world out of that slumber: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her. The Devi who abides in all beings and is named consciousness, the awareness that sits within and knows: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her.
12 · 13
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु विष्णुमायेति शब्दिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 12 ॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु चेतनेत्यभिधीयते ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 13 ॥
And the pulse did not stop. The Devi who abides in all beings as intelligence, the power that weighs and decides and understands: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her. The Devi who abides in all beings as sleep, from the yoga-slumber of Vishnu down to the rest that closes our own eyes each night: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her. The Devi who abides in all beings as hunger, the pang that keeps every living creature reaching to stay alive: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her. The Devi who abides in all beings as shadow, the shape that is seen although the thing itself is nothing: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her.
14 · 15 · 16 · 17
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु बुद्धिरूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 14 ॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु निद्रारूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 15 ॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु क्षुधारूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 16 ॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु च्छायारूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 17 ॥
The Devi who abides in all beings as energy, the force that stands behind every act that is done: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her. The Devi who abides in all beings as thirst, the craving inside every reach for something more: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her. The Devi who abides in all beings as forbearance, the patience that lets us bear and forgive: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her. The Devi who abides in all beings as species, the shared nature that binds each kind of birth together: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her.
18 · 19 · 20 · 21
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु शक्तिरूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 18 ॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु तृष्णारूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 19 ॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु क्षान्तिरूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 20 ॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु जातिरूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 21 ॥
The Devi who abides in all beings as modesty, the quiet reserve a true knower carries: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her. The Devi who abides in all beings as peace, the stillness every seeker is trying to reach: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her. The Devi who abides in all beings as faith, the seed from which every practice grows and the seeker is carried onward: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her. The Devi who abides in all beings as loveliness, alive in every gleam and every grace: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her.
22 · 23 · 24 · 25
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु लज्जारूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 22 ॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु शान्तिरूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 23 ॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु श्रद्धारूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 24 ॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु कान्तिरूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 25 ॥
The Devi who abides in all beings as good fortune, the Lakshmi within all plenty and wealth: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her. The Devi who abides in all beings as fortitude, the holding power and the steadiness that keep each thing in its place: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her. The Devi who abides in all beings as activity, moving both the current of the mind and the work by which we live: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her. The Devi who abides in all beings as memory, the remembering that makes us who we are: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her.
26 · 27 · 28 · 29
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु लक्ष्मीरूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 26 ॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु धृतिरूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 27 ॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु वृत्तिरूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 28 ॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु स्मृतिरूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 29 ॥
The Devi who abides in all beings as compassion, the tenderness we keep for one another: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her. The Devi who abides in all beings as right conduct, the sense that tells right from wrong: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her. The Devi who abides in all beings as contentment, the ease that lets a restless mind settle: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her. The Devi who abides in all beings as nourishment, at work in every growth and every flourishing: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her.
30 · 31 · 32 · 33
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु दयारूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 30 ॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु नीतिरूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 31 ॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु तुष्टिरूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 32 ॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु पुष्टिरूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 33 ॥
Now the hymn made its boldest turn. The Devi who abides in all beings as mother, the motherhood at the root of every bond: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her. The Devi who abides in all beings even as error, present inside our very own mistakes, so that nothing we live through falls outside her: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her. To her who governs the organs of sense and rules forever among all beings, the goddess whose whole nature is to pervade, salutation and again salutation. And to her who stands pervading this entire world in the form of pure awareness: salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her.
34 · 35 · 36 · 37
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु मातृरूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 34 ॥
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु भ्रान्तिरूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 35 ॥
इन्द्रियाणामधिष्ठात्री भूतानां चाखिलेषु या ।
भूतेषु सततं तस्यै व्याप्तिदेव्यै नमो नमः ॥ 36 ॥
चितिरूपेण या कृत्स्नमेतद् व्याप्य स्थिता जगत् ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥ 37 ॥
Then the whole flood of praise narrowed to a single prayer. She whom the gods praised in ages past to win the protection they longed for, she whom the lord of the asuras too once served, day after day: may she, the sovereign lady who is the very source of all that is bright, work good for us, grant us blessing and grace, and beat back every calamity. And she whom we gods, tormented now by these insolent daityas, bow to as our queen, she who the moment she is called to mind by those bent low in devotion carries off all their distress in that same breath: may that goddess guard us.
38 · 39
स्तुता सुरैः पूर्वमभीष्टसंश्रयात् तथासुरेन्द्रेण दिनेषु सेविता ।
करोतु सा नः शुभहेतुरीश्वरी शुभानि भद्राण्यभिहन्तु चापदः ॥ 38 ॥
या साम्प्रतं चोद्धतदैत्यतापितैरस्माभिरीशा च सुरैर्नमस्यते ।
या च स्मृता तत्क्षणमेव हन्ति नः सर्वापदो भक्तिविनम्रमूर्तिभिः ॥ 39 ॥
O prince, at exactly this point the story turns. While the gods stood lost in their hymn, Parvati herself came down to bathe in the waters of the Jahnavi, the Ganga. Fair of brow, she asked them straight out whom they were praising here. The answer came from another voice: from the sheath of Parvati’s own body an auspicious goddess stepped forth and said, this hymn is raised for me, by these gods whom the daitya Shumbha has cast from their places and Nishumbha has beaten in battle.
40 · 41 · 42
ऋषिरुवाच ।
एवं स्तवादियुक्तानां देवानां तत्र पार्वती ।
स्नातुमभ्याययौ तोये जाह्नव्या नृपनन्दन ॥ 40 ॥
साब्रवीत्तान् सुरान् सुभ्रूर्भवद्भिः स्तूयते ऽत्र का ।
शरीरकोशतश्चास्याः समुद्भूताब्रवीच्छिवा ॥ 41 ॥
स्तोत्रं ममैतत् क्रियते शुम्भदैत्यनिराकृतैः ।
देवैः समेतैः समरे निशुम्भेन पराजितैः ॥ 42 ॥
Because this Ambika came out of the sheath, the kosha, of Parvati’s body, all the worlds sing her under the name Kaushiki. And once she had stepped away, Parvati herself turned dark, and as the dark one she came to be called Kalika, making her home upon Himavat. So the goddess stood now as two, Kaushiki the radiant and Kalika the dark. At that very hour Chanda and Munda, two servants of Shumbha and Nishumbha, caught sight of Ambika wearing her sublime and utterly captivating form.
43 · 44 · 45
शरीरकोशाद्यत्तस्याः पार्वत्या निःसृताम्बिका ।
कौशिकीति समस्तेषु ततो लोकेषु गीयते ॥ 43 ॥
तस्यां विनिर्गतायां तु कृष्णाभूत् सापि पार्वती ।
कालिकेति समाख्याता हिमाचलकृताश्रया ॥ 44 ॥
ततो ऽम्बिकां परं रूपं बिभ्राणां सुमनोहरम् ।
ददर्श चण्डो मुण्डश्च भृत्यौ शुम्भनिशुम्भयोः ॥ 45 ॥
The two of them hurried back to Shumbha. A woman past all describing sits up there, great king, they said, and the whole of Himavat is bright with her. No one anywhere has ever seen beauty to match it. Find out, lord of the asuras, what goddess she may be, and take her for your own. She is a gem among women, flawless in every limb, and her radiance sets the very horizons alight; she is worth your going, lord of the daityas, to see with your own eyes.
46 · 47 · 48
ताभ्यां शुम्भाय चाख्याता अतीव सुमनोहरा ।
काप्यास्ते स्त्री महाराज भासयन्ती हिमाचलम् ॥ 46 ॥
नैव तादृक् क्वचिद्रूपं दृष्टं केनचिदुत्तमम् ।
ज्ञायतां काप्यसौ देवी गृह्यतां चासुरेश्वर ॥ 47 ॥
स्त्रीरत्नमतिचार्वङ्गी द्योतयन्ती दिशस्त्विषा ।
सा तु तिष्ठति दैत्येन्द्र तां भवान् द्रष्टुमर्हति ॥ 48 ॥
Then they laid out his wealth before him, as if to point at the one prize still missing. Every gem, my lord, every jewel and elephant and horse in all three worlds now shines inside your house. Airavata, the gem among elephants, was taken from Purandara; the Parijata tree came to you, and the horse Uchchaihshravas. Brahma’s own marvel, the gem-wrought chariot yoked to swans, stands waiting in your courtyard.
49 · 50 · 51
यानि रत्नानि मणयो गजाश्वादीनि वै प्रभो ।
त्रैलोक्ये तु समस्तानि साम्प्रतं भान्ति ते गृहे ॥ 49 ॥
ऐरावतः समानीतो गजरत्नं पुरन्दरात् ।
पारिजाततरुश्चायं तथैवोच्चैःश्रवा हयः ॥ 50 ॥
विमानं हंससंयुक्तमेतत्तिष्ठति ते ऽङ्गणे ।
रत्नभूतमिहानीतं यदासीद्वेधसो ऽद्भुतम् ॥ 51 ॥
And the count ran on. From Kubera, lord of riches, came the treasure called Mahapadma; the ocean gave up its garland of lotuses that never wilt. Varuna’s parasol, raining gold, stands in your house, and beside it the finest chariot Prajapati once drove. From Death himself you wrenched the power named Utkranti-da, the power that grants a life its final departure. The noose of Varuna, king of the waters, rests in your brother’s keeping; Nishumbha holds every kind of gem the sea has ever borne; and Agni gave you two garments that fire itself has washed clean.
52 · 53 · 54 · 55
निधिरेष महापद्मः समानीतो धनेश्वरात् ।
किञ्जल्किनीं ददौ चाब्धिर्मालामम्लानपङ्कजाम् ॥ 52 ॥
छत्रं ते वारुणं गेहे काञ्चनस्त्रावि तिष्ठति ।
तथायं स्यन्दनवरो यः पुरासीत् प्रजापतेः ॥ 53 ॥
मृत्योरुत्क्रान्तिदा नाम शक्तिरीश त्वया हृता ।
पाशः सलिलराजस्य भ्रातुस्तव परिग्रहे ॥ 54 ॥
निशुम्भस्याब्धिजाताश्च समस्ता रत्नजातयः ।
वह्निरपि ददौ तुभ्यमग्निशौचे च वाससी ॥ 55 ॥
Every treasure named, Chanda and Munda came at last to the thing they had climbed down to say. All the gems of the three worlds are already yours, lord of the daityas; why then have you still not taken this one auspicious jewel among women? Hearing them out, the great asura Shumbha sent a messenger to the goddess, the mighty asura named Sugriva.
56 · 57
एवं दैत्येन्द्र रत्नानि समस्तान्याहृतानि ते ।
स्त्रीरत्नमेषा कल्याणी त्वया कस्मान्न गृह्यते ॥ 56 ॥
ऋषिरुवाच ।
निशम्येति वचः शुम्भः स तदा चण्डमुण्डयोः ।
प्रेषयामास सुग्रीवं दूतं देव्या महासुरः ॥ 57 ॥
Shumbha coached him with care: carry her these words of mine, he said, and handle it so smoothly that she comes to me gladly, of her own accord. The messenger climbed to the shining stretch of mountain where the goddess sat and began in a soft and honeyed voice. Goddess, Shumbha the lord of the daityas is the supreme master of the three worlds, and I am his messenger, sent by him and standing now before you.
58 · 59 · 60
शुम्भ उवाच ।
इति चेति च वक्तव्या सा गत्वा वचनान्मम ।
यथा चाभ्येति संप्रीत्या तथा कार्यं त्वया लघु ॥ 58 ॥
स तत्र गत्वा यत्रास्ते शैलोद्देशे ऽतिशोभने ।
तां च देवीं ततः प्राह श्लक्ष्णं मधुरया गिरा ॥ 59 ॥
दूत उवाच ।
देवि दैत्येश्वरः शुम्भस्त्रैलोक्ये परमेश्वरः ।
दूतो ऽहं प्रेषितस्तेन त्वत्सकाशमिहागतः ॥ 60 ॥
Then he set out his master’s rank and his pride in one breath. Hear now the words of one whose command has never once been refused among all the races of the gods, one who has broken every enemy the daityas ever had. He says: the three worlds are mine, the gods move at my will, and every share of every yajna I enjoy myself, each one apart. The choicest jewels of the three worlds lie wholly in my power, and I have taken even the gem among elephants that once carried the king of the gods.
61 · 62 · 63
अव्याहताज्ञः सर्वासु यः सदा देवयोनिषु ।
निर्जिताखिलदैत्यारिः स यदाह शृणुष्व तत् ॥ 61 ॥
मम त्रैलोक्यमखिलं मम देवा वशानुगाः ।
यज्ञभागानहं सर्वानुपाश्नामि पृथक् पृथक् ॥ 62 ॥
त्रैलोक्ये वररत्नानि मम वश्यान्यशेषतः ।
तथैव गजरत्नं च हृत्वा देवेन्द्रवाहनम् ॥ 63 ॥
His master’s message only grew sweeter as it ran on. Uchchaihshravas, the gem among horses churned up from the ocean of milk, the immortals bowed low and set in my hands. Whatever else has the worth of a jewel, among the gods, the gandharvas, and the serpent nagas, all of it has come to rest with me alone, radiant one. And you, goddess, we hold to be the one gem among all the women of the world; so come to us, for we are keepers and enjoyers of gems.
64 · 65 · 66
क्षीरोदमथनोद्भूतमश्वरत्नं ममामरैः ।
उच्चैःश्रवससंज्ञं तत्प्रणिपत्य समर्पितम् ॥ 64 ॥
यानि चान्यानि देवेषु गन्धर्वेषूरगेषु च ।
रत्नभूतानि भूतानि तानि मय्येव शोभने ॥ 65 ॥
स्त्रीरत्नभूतां त्वां देवि लोके मन्यामहे वयम् ।
सा त्वमस्मानुपागच्छ यतो रत्नभुजो वयम् ॥ 66 ॥
Then the choice itself was set before her. Take whichever of us you please, came the word, me or my younger brother Nishumbha, whose valor reaches everywhere, lady of the restless glance, for a true gem you are. Come into my keeping and a sovereignty beyond all compare is yours; weigh it with your own good sense, and give yourself into my hands. The goddess heard it all and smiled, a deep and unhurried smile held far within, she who is Durga, Bhagavati Bhadra, by whom this whole world is upheld, and then she spoke.
67 · 68 · 69
मां वा ममानुजं वापि निशुम्भमुरुविक्रमम् ।
भज त्वं चञ्चलापाङ्गि रत्नभूतासि वै यतः ॥ 67 ॥
परमैश्वर्यमतुलं प्राप्स्यसे मत्परिग्रहात् ।
एतद् बुद्ध्या समालोच्य मत्परिग्रहतां व्रज ॥ 68 ॥
ऋषिरुवाच ।
इत्युक्ता सा तदा देवी गम्भीरान्तःस्मिता जगौ ।
दुर्गा भगवती भद्रा ययेदं धार्यते जगत् ॥ 69 ॥
The goddess began by granting him every word. You have spoken the truth, she said, and nothing in it is false. Shumbha is indeed the overlord of the three worlds, and Nishumbha stands just as high. But a vow once taken, how is it to be turned into a lie? Hear then the vow I made long ago, out of the small wisdom I had at the time. I resolved that whoever defeats me in battle, whoever strips the pride out of me, whoever in this world meets me as my equal in strength, he alone shall be my husband.
70 · 71 · 72
देव्युवाच ।
सत्यमुक्तत्वया नात्र मिथ्या किञ्चित्त्वयोदितम् ।
त्रैलोक्याधिपतिः शुम्भो निशुम्भश्चापि तादृशः ॥ 70 ॥
किं त्वत्र यत्प्रतिज्ञातं मिथ्या तत्क्रियते कथम् ।
श्रूयतामल्पबुद्धित्वात् प्रतिज्ञा या कृता पुरा ॥ 71 ॥
यो मां जयति संग्रामे यो मे दर्पं व्यपोहति ।
यो मे प्रतिबलो लोके स मे भर्ता भविष्यति ॥ 72 ॥
So she set the challenge down in plain words. Let Shumbha come here, then, or the great asura Nishumbha. Let him defeat me, and why any delay after that; let him take my hand that very hour. At this the messenger flared. Pride has gone to your head, goddess, he said; do not talk this way in front of me. What man in all three worlds could stand face to face with Shumbha and Nishumbha?
73 · 74
तदागच्छतु शुम्भो ऽत्र निशुम्भो वा महासुरः ।
मां जित्वा किं चिरेणात्र पाणिं गृह्णातु मे लघु ॥ 73 ॥
दूत उवाच ।
अवलिप्तासि मैवं त्वं देवि ब्रूहि ममाग्रतः ।
त्रैलोक्ये कः पुमांस्तिष्ठेदग्रे शुम्भनिशुम्भयोः ॥ 74 ॥
His warning turned sharper still. Against even the lesser daityas the massed gods cannot hold the field in war, goddess; how then will you, one woman, standing alone? Indra and all the gods beside him could not keep their ground against the likes of Shumbha; how will a lone woman walk out to face such asuras? Go to Shumbha and Nishumbha on your own feet, as I have told you, before you are dragged there by the hair and every shred of your dignity is shaken into the dust.
75 · 76 · 77
अन्येषामपि दैत्यानां सर्वे देवा न वै युधि ।
तिष्ठन्ति संमुखे देवि किं पुनः स्त्री त्वमेकिका ॥ 75 ॥
इन्द्राद्याः सकला देवास्तस्थुर्येषां न संयुगे ।
शुम्भादीनां कथं तेषां स्त्री प्रयास्यसि संमुखम् ॥ 76 ॥
सा त्वं गच्छ मयैवोक्ता पार्श्वं शुम्भनिशुम्भयोः ।
केशाकर्षणनिर्धूतगौरवा मा गमिष्यसि ॥ 77 ॥
The goddess answered the threat without lifting her voice. It is just as you say: Shumbha is strong, and Nishumbha’s courage is past all telling. Yet what am I to do, when a promise I made long ago, without weighing it, still stands and holds me? Go, then, and carry to the lord of the asuras, with all respect, every word I have spoken to you, and let him do whatever he judges fit.
78 · 79
देव्युवाच ।
एवमेतद् बली शुम्भो निशुम्भश्चातिवीर्यवान् ।
किं करोमि प्रतिज्ञा मे यदनालोचिता पुरा ॥ 78 ॥
स त्वं गच्छ मयोक्तं ते यदेतत्सर्वमादृतः ।
तदाचक्ष्वासुरेन्द्राय स च युक्तं करोतु तत् ॥ 79 ॥
Ahead
The sixth chapter brings the slaying of Dhumralochana. The messenger returns empty-handed, rage takes hold of Shumbha, and he sends a general named Dhumralochana to march upon the Devi. He advances on her in his pride, and at a single “humkara” from the Devi he burns to ash where he stands.