कार्यभेदकरा नित्यं कोशगुप्तासिवत्सदा । संग्रामेऽथ समुत्पन्ने भीषयन्ति प्रभुं सदा
Constantly causing division in affairs, always hiding the treasury like a sword, when battle arises, they always frighten the master.
विश्वासस्तु न कर्तव्यस्तेषां राजन् कदाचन । विश्वासे कार्यहानिः स्यान्मन्त्रहानिः सदैव हि
O King, trust should never be placed in them; for trust in them always leads to loss of work and the leaking of secrets.
खलाः किं किं न कुर्वन्ति विश्वस्ता लोभतत्पराः । तामसाः पापनिरता बुद्धिहीनाः शठास्तथा
What will not the wicked do when trusted, being intent on greed? Tamasic, devoted to evil, devoid of intelligence, and deceitful as well.
तस्मात्कार्यं करिष्यामि गत्वाहं रणमस्तके । चिन्ता त्वया न कर्तव्या सर्वथा नृपसत्तम
Therefore, I will accomplish the task myself, going to the forefront of battle; you, best of kings, should not worry in any way.
गृहीत्वा तां दुराचारामागमिष्यामि सत्वरः । पश्य मेऽद्य बलं धैर्यं प्रभुकार्यं स्वशक्तितः
I will quickly return, having seized that wicked one; today, witness my strength, courage, and devotion to the master's cause.
महिषसेनाधिपबाष्कलदुर्मुखनिपातनवर्णनम् व्यास उवाच इत्युक्त्वा तौ महाबाहू दैत्यौ बाष्कलदुर्मुखौ । जग्मतुर्मददिग्धाङ्गौ सर्वशस्त्रास्त्रकोविदौ
Vyasa said: Having spoken thus, those two mighty-armed Daityas, Bashkala and Durmukha, intoxicated with pride and skilled in all weapons and missiles, set out.
तौ गत्वा समरे देवीमूचतुर्वचनं तदा । दानवौ च मदोन्मत्तौ मेघगम्भीरया गिरा
They went to the battlefield and addressed the Goddess with deep, thunderous voices, those two Danavas, maddened with arrogance.
देवि देवा जिता येन महिषेण महात्मना । वरय त्वं वरारोहे सर्वदैत्याधिपं नृपम्
O Goddess, Mahisha, the great-souled one, has conquered the gods; choose him, O beautiful one, as your husband, the lord of all Daityas.
स कृत्वा मानुषं रूपं सर्वलक्षणसंयुतम् । भूषितं भूषणैर्दिव्यैस्त्वामेष्यति रहः किल
He will assume a human form, endowed with all auspicious marks, adorned with divine ornaments, and will approach you in private.
त्रैलोक्यविभवं कामं त्वमेष्यसि शुचिस्मिते । महिषे परमं भावं कुरु कान्ते मनोगतम्
With Mahisha, you will attain all the wealth of the three worlds, O bright-smiling one; bestow your highest affection upon him, O lovely one, as your heart desires.
कृत्वा पतिं महावीरं संसारसुखमद्भुतम् । त्वं प्राप्स्यसि पिकालापे योषितां खलु वाञ्छितम्
Having made that great hero your husband, you will experience wondrous worldly happiness, and obtain, O sweet-voiced one, all that women truly desire.
देव्युवाच जाल्म त्वं किं विजानासि नारीयं काममोहिता । मन्दबुद्धिबलात्यर्थं भजेयं महिषं शठम्
The Goddess said: Wretch, what do you know? I am not a woman deluded by desire, so lacking in sense and strength that I would choose the deceitful Mahisha.
कुलशीलगुणैस्तुल्यं तं भजन्ति कुलस्त्रियः । अधिकं रूपचातुर्यबुद्धिशीलक्षमादिभिः
Noble women choose a husband equal in family, character, and virtues, or one superior in beauty, skill, intelligence, character, patience, and the like.
का नु कामातुरा नारी भजेच्च पशुरूपिणम् । पशूनामधमं नूनं महिषं देवरूपिणी
What woman, overcome by desire, would choose one with the form of a beast? Surely, I, divine in form, would not choose Mahisha, the lowest of beasts.
गच्छतं महिषं तूर्णं भूपं बाष्कलदुर्मुखौ । वदतं मद्वचो दैत्यं गजतुल्यं विषाणिनम्
Go quickly to Mahisha, the king, O Bashkala and Durmukha; tell that Daitya, who is like an elephant with horns, my words.
पातालं गच्छ वाभ्येत्य संग्रामं कुरु वा मया । रणे जाते सहस्राक्षो निर्भयः स्यादिति धुवम्
Let him either go to the netherworld or come here and fight with me; when battle is joined, then indeed Indra will be fearless.
हत्वाहं त्वां गमिष्यामि नान्यथा गमनं मम । इत्थं ज्ञात्वा सुदुर्बुद्धे यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु
Having slain you, I shall depart; otherwise, there is no leaving for me. Knowing this, O most foolish one, act as you wish.
मामनिर्जित्य भूभागे न स्थानं ते कदाचन । भविष्यति चतुष्पाद दिवि वा गिरिकन्दरे
Without defeating me, you shall never have a place on earth, nor among four-footed creatures, nor in heaven, nor in the mountain caves.
व्यास उवाच इत्युक्तौ तौ तया दैत्यौ कोपाकुलितलोचनौ । धनुर्बाणधरौ वीरौ युद्धकामौ बभूवतुः
Vyasa said: Thus addressed by her, those two demons, their eyes inflamed with anger, became eager for battle, holding bows and arrows, heroic and ready to fight.
कृत्वा सुविपुलं नादं देवी सा निर्भया स्थिता । उभौ च चक्रतुस्तीव्रा बाणवृष्टिं कुरूद्वह
The Goddess, standing fearless, made a mighty sound, and both unleashed a fierce shower of arrows, O best of the Kurus.
भगवत्यपि बाणौघान्मुमोच दानवौ प्रति । कृत्वातिमधुरं नादं देवकार्यार्थसिद्धये
The Goddess too released torrents of arrows at the demons, making a supremely sweet sound for the accomplishment of the gods' purpose.
तयोस्तु बाष्कलस्तूर्णं सम्मुखोऽभूद् रणाङ्गणे । दुर्मुखः प्रेक्षकस्तत्र देवीमभिमुखः स्थितः
Of the two, Bashkala swiftly confronted the Goddess on the battlefield, while Durmukha stood facing her as an onlooker.
तयोर्युद्धमभूद् घोरं देवीबाष्कलयोस्तदा । बाणासिपरिघाघातैर्भयदं मन्दचेतसाम्
A terrible battle then took place between the Goddess and Bashkala, frightening to the faint-hearted, with blows of arrows, swords, and clubs.
ततः क्रुद्धा जगन्माता दृष्ट्वा तं युद्धदुर्मदम् । जघान पञ्चभिर्बाणैः कर्णाकृष्टैः शिलाशितैः
Then, seeing that demon intoxicated by battle, the enraged Mother of the Universe struck him with five arrows, drawn to her ear and sharp as stones.
दानवोऽपि शरान्देव्याश्चिच्छेद निशितैः शरैः । सप्तभिस्ताडयामास देवीं सिंहोपरिस्थिताम्
The demon too cut down the Goddess's arrows with his own sharp shafts and struck the Goddess, who was mounted on the lion, with seven arrows.
सापि तं दशभिस्तीक्ष्णैः सुपीतैः सायकैः खलम् । जघान तच्छरांश्छित्त्वा जहास च मुहुर्मुहुः
She, in turn, struck that wicked one with ten sharp, golden-feathered arrows, cutting down his shafts and laughing again and again.
अर्धचन्द्रेण बाणेन चिच्छेद च शरासनम् । बाष्कलोऽपि गदां गृह्य देवीं हन्तुमुपाययौ
With a crescent-shaped arrow she cut his bow, and Bashkala, seizing a mace, advanced to slay the Goddess.
आगच्छन्तं गदापाणिं दानवं मदगर्वितम् । चण्डिका स्वगदापातैः पातयामास भूतले
As the demon, proud and intoxicated, approached with mace in hand, Chandika felled him to the ground with blows from her own mace.
बाष्कलः पतितो भूमौ मुहूर्तादुत्थितः पुनः । चिक्षेप च गदां सोऽपि चण्डिकां चण्डविक्रमः
Bashkala, having fallen to the ground, rose again after a moment and, fierce in valor, hurled his mace at Chandika.
तमागच्छन्तमालोक्य देवी शूलेन वक्षसि । जघान बाष्कलं क्रुद्धा पपात च ममार सः
Seeing him advancing, the enraged Goddess struck Bashkala in the chest with her spear; he fell and died.