तां समानय चार्वङ्गीं भुङ्क्ष्व सौख्यसमन्वितः । तादृशी नासुरी नारी न गन्धर्वी न दानवी
'Bring that beautiful-limbed one and enjoy happiness with her; such a woman is not found among asuras, nor among gandharvas, nor among dānavas.'
न मानवी नापि देवी यादृशी सा मनोहरा । एवं भृत्यवचः श्रुत्वा शुम्भः परबलार्दनः
'Nor among humans, nor among goddesses, is there one as enchanting as she.' Hearing these words of his servants, Śumbha, the subduer of enemies,
दूतं सम्मेषयामास सुग्रीवं नाम दानवम् । स दूतस्त्वरितं गत्वा देव्याः सविधमादरात्
Sent a messenger named Sugrīva, a dānava; that messenger quickly went and, with respect, approached the Goddess.
वृत्तान्तं कथयामास देव्यै शुम्भस्य यद्वचः । देवि शुम्भासुरो नाम त्रैलोक्यविजयी प्रभुः
He related the matter to the Goddess, conveying Śumbha's words: 'O Goddess, there is an asura named Śumbha, lord and conqueror of the three worlds.'
सर्वेषां रत्नवस्तूनां भोक्ता मान्यो दिवौकसाम् । तदुक्तं शृणु मे देवि रत्नभोक्ताहमव्ययः
'He is the honored enjoyer of all jewels and treasures among the gods; hear what he says to you, O Goddess: I am the imperishable enjoyer of jewels.'
त्वं चापि रत्नभूतासि भज मां चारुलोचने । सर्वेषु यानि रत्नानि देवासुरनरेषु च
'You too are a jewel, O beautiful-eyed one; unite with me. All the jewels among gods, asuras, and men,'
तानि मय्येव सुभगे भज मां कामजै रसैः । देव्युवाच सत्यं वदसि हे दूत दैत्यराजप्रियङ्करम्
'O fortunate one, all those jewels are with me; enjoy with me the pleasures of desire.' The Goddess said: 'You speak the truth, O messenger, pleasing to the daitya king.'
प्रतिज्ञा या मया पूर्वं कृता साप्यनृता कथम् । भवेत्तां शृणु मे दूत या प्रतिज्ञा मया कृता
'How could the vow I made before become false? Hear from me, O messenger, the vow I have made.'
यो मे दर्पं विधुनुते यो मे बलमपोहति । यो मे प्रतिबलो भूयात्स एव मम भोगभाक्
Whoever dispels my pride, whoever removes my strength, whoever becomes equal in power to me—he alone shall enjoy my pleasures.
तत एनां प्रतिज्ञां मे सत्यां कृत्वासुरेश्वरः । गृह्णातु पाणिं तरसा तस्याशक्यं किमत्र हि
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?
तस्माद् गच्छ महादूत स्वामिनं ब्रूहि चादृतः । प्रतिज्ञां चापि मे सत्यां विधास्यति बलाधिकः
Therefore, go, great messenger, and respectfully tell your master: if he is stronger, he will fulfill my promise in truth.
एवं वाक्यं महादेव्याः समाकर्ण्य स दानवः । कथयामास शुम्भाय देव्या वृत्तान्तमादितः
Hearing these words of the great goddess, the demon listened and related the entire account to Shumbha from the beginning.
तदाप्रियं दूतवाक्यं शुम्भः श्रुत्वा महाबलः । कोपमाहारयामास महान्तं दनुजाधिपः
Then, upon hearing the messenger's unpleasant words, Shumbha, the mighty lord of the demons, became greatly enraged.
ततो धूम्राक्षनामानं दैत्यं दैत्यपतिः प्रभुः । आदिदेश शृणु वचो धूम्राक्ष मम चादृतः
Then the lord and master of the demons commanded the demon named Dhumraksha: 'Listen to my words, Dhumraksha, and obey me.'
तां दुष्टां केशपाशेषु हत्वाप्यानीयतां मम । समीपमविलम्बेन शीघ्रं गच्छस्व मे पुरः
Bring that wicked woman to me quickly, even if you must kill her and drag her by her hair; go at once ahead for me.
इत्यादेशं समासाद्य दैत्येशो धूम्रलोचनः । षष्ट्यासुराणां सहितः सहस्राणां महाबलः
Receiving this command, Dhumralochana, the lord of the demons, set out, accompanied by sixty thousand powerful demons.
तुहिनाचलमासाद्य देव्याः सविधमेव सः । उच्चैर्देवीं जगादाशु भज दैत्यपतिं शुभे
Arriving at the snowy mountain, he approached the goddess and loudly said: 'O auspicious one, quickly submit to the lord of the demons.'
शुम्भं नाम महावीर्यं सर्वभोगानवाप्नुहि । नोचेत्केशान्गृहीत्वा त्वां नेष्ये दैत्यपतिं प्रति
'Accept Shumbha, the mighty one, and enjoy all pleasures; otherwise, I will seize you by your hair and take you to the lord of the demons.'
इत्युक्ता सा ततो देवी दैत्येन त्रिदशारिणा । उवाच दैत्य यद् ब्रूषे तत्सत्यं ते महाबल
Thus addressed by the demon, the goddess replied: 'What you say is true, O mighty one.'
राजा शुम्भासुरस्त्वं च किं करिष्यसि तद्वद । इत्युक्तो दैत्यपोऽधावत्तूर्णं शस्त्रसमन्वितः
'King Shumbha is an asura, and you too; tell me, what will you do?' Thus addressed, the demon lord rushed forward, armed with weapons.
भस्मसात्तं चकाराशु हुङ्कारेण महेश्वरी । ततः सैन्यं वाहनेन देव्या भग्नं महीपते
With a roar, the great goddess instantly reduced him to ashes; then, O king, the goddess destroyed his army with her vehicle.
दिशो दशाभजच्छीघ्रं हाहाभूतमचेतनम् । तद्वृत्तान्तं समाश्रुत्य स शुम्भो दैत्यराड् विभुः
The army scattered swiftly in all directions, becoming unconscious and crying out; hearing this account, Shumbha, the lord of the demons, was informed.
चुकोप च महाकोपाद् भ्रुकुटीकुटिलाननः । ततः कोपपरीतात्मा दैत्यराजः प्रतापवान्
He became furious, his face twisted with rage; then, possessed by anger, the powerful demon king was inflamed.
चण्डं मुण्डं रक्तबीजं क्रमतः प्रैषयद्विभुः । ते च गत्वा त्रयो दैत्या विक्रान्ता बहुविक्रमाः
He sent forth Chanda, Munda, and Raktabija in turn; those three mighty demons, renowned for their valor, went forth.
देवीं ग्रहीतुमारब्धयत्नास्ते ह्यभवन्बलात् । तानापतत एवासौ जगद्धात्री मदोत्कटा
They began their attempt to seize the goddess by force; but as they attacked, the fierce world-protecting goddess confronted them.
शूलं गहीत्वा वेगेन पातयामास भूतले । ससैन्यान्निहताञ्छ्रुत्वा दैत्यांस्त्रीन्दानवेश्वरौ
Seizing her spear, she hurled it swiftly to the ground; hearing of the demons and their armies being slain, the two demon lords were informed.
शुम्भश्चैव निशुम्भश्च समाजग्मतुरोजसा । निशुम्भश्चैव शुम्भश्च कृत्वा युद्धं महोत्कटम्
Both Śumbha and Niśumbha came forth with great vigor; and Niśumbha as well as Śumbha engaged in a fierce and terrible battle.
देव्याश्च वशगौ जातौ निहतौ च तयासुरौ । इति दैत्यवरं शुम्भं घातयित्वा जगन्मयी
And both those demons were subdued and slain by the Goddess; thus, after killing the foremost demon Śumbha, the All-pervading One—
विबुधैः संस्तुता तद्वत्साक्षाद्वागीश्वरी परा । एवं ते वर्णितो राजन् प्रादुर्भावोऽतिरम्यकः
—was praised by the gods, and likewise by the supreme Goddess of Speech herself; O King, in this way, her most wondrous manifestation has been described.
काल्याश्चैव महालक्ष्याः सरस्वत्याः क्रमेण च । परा परेश्वरी देवी जगत्सर्गं करोति च
In the forms of Kālī, Mahālakṣmī, and Sarasvatī in succession, the supreme Lady, the Goddess, creates the universe.