When Śumbha, the mighty lord of the asuras, heard his servants praise the extraordinary beauty of the Goddess, they urged him, “Bring that beautiful-limbed one and enjoy happiness with her; such a woman is not found among asuras, nor among gandharvas, nor among dānavas. Nor among humans, nor among goddesses, is there one as enchanting as she.” Their words filled Śumbha with desire, and so he sent his messenger, Sugrīva, a dānava, to approach the Goddess with respect and deliver his proposal. Sugrīva came before the radiant Goddess and conveyed Śumbha’s message: “O Goddess, there is an asura named Śumbha, lord and conqueror of the three worlds. He is the honored enjoyer of all jewels and treasures among the gods. Hear what he says: ‘I am the imperishable enjoyer of jewels. You too are a jewel, O beautiful-eyed one; unite with me. All the jewels among gods, asuras, and men are with me, O fortunate one; enjoy with me the pleasures of desire.’” The Goddess listened and replied graciously, “You speak the truth, O messenger, pleasing to the daitya king. But how could the vow I made before become false? Hear from me the vow I have taken: Whoever dispels my pride, whoever removes my strength, whoever becomes equal in power to me—he alone shall enjoy my pleasures. Therefore, let the lord of the demons fulfill this promise of mine in truth; let him seize my hand with force—what is impossible for him in this matter? Go, great messenger, and respectfully tell your master: if he is stronger, he will fulfill my promise in truth.” Sugrīva listened to her words and faithfully reported everything to Śumbha. Hearing the Goddess’s reply, Śumbha was filled with rage. His face twisted with anger, and, burning with fury, he summoned Dhumraksha, a powerful demon. “Listen to my words, Dhumraksha, and obey me. Bring that wicked woman to me quickly, even if you must kill her and drag her by her hair; go at once for me.” Dhumralochana, the lord of demons, took the command and set out at the head of sixty thousand powerful asuras. They arrived at the snowy mountain where the Goddess resided. Dhumralochana approached her and shouted, “O auspicious one, quickly submit to the lord of the demons. Accept Śumbha, the mighty one, and enjoy all pleasures; otherwise, I will seize you by your hair and take you to the lord of the demons.” The Goddess replied calmly, “What you say is true, O mighty one. King Śumbha is an asura, and you too; tell me, what will you do?” Enraged, the demon rushed at her, weapons drawn. But the great Goddess, with a roar, instantly reduced him to ashes. Then, riding her lion, she destroyed his vast army, scattering them in all directions. The terrified asuras cried out and fell unconscious. News of this defeat reached Śumbha, who became even more furious. Consumed by anger, Śumbha sent forth the fierce demons Chanda, Munda, and Raktabija, renowned for their valor. These three set out to seize the Goddess by force. But as they attacked, the fierce, world-protecting Goddess confronted them. She seized her spear and hurled it to the ground. As the battle raged, news of the demons and their armies being slain reached the demon lords. At last, both Śumbha and his brother Niśumbha came forth with great vigor and engaged the Goddess in a terrible battle. In that fierce combat, both demons were subdued and slain by the Goddess. After the death of Śumbha, the All-pervading One was praised by the gods and by the supreme Goddess of Speech herself. Thus was described her most wondrous manifestation. In her forms as Kālī, Mahālakṣmī, and Sarasvatī, the supreme Lady creates the universe. She alone upholds and dissolves the world; she dispels the delusion of all beings. Take refuge in that Lady of the gods, the Great Māyā, most worthy of worship, who will accomplish your purpose. Hearing these sacred words, King Suratha sought refuge in the Goddess, who grants all desires. Fasting, self-controlled, his mind fixed in devotion, he worshipped her clay image with utmost reverence. At the end of his worship, he offered his own blood as an oblation. Moved by his devotion, the compassionate Lady of the gods, source of the universe, appeared before him and said, “Ask for a boon.” The king requested the destruction of his delusion, supreme knowledge, and a kingdom free from obstacles. The Goddess replied, “O King, a kingdom free from obstacles and knowledge that destroys delusion—these will be granted to you in this very life. And listen further: in your next birth, you will be born as Bhānu and become Sāvarṇi. There, in that Manvantara, you will attain the position of Manu with great prowess, and by my boon you will obtain a large and prosperous lineage.” Having granted these boons, the Goddess disappeared. By her grace, the king became the lord of the Manvantara, his desires fulfilled and his delusion dispelled.