विदूषकोऽसि जाल्म त्वं शैलूष इव भाषसे । वृथा मनोरथांश्चित्ते करोषि मधुरं वदन्
You are a fool, a jester, speaking like an actor; you fill your mind with vain fantasies and utter sweet words in vain.
बलवान्बलसंयुक्तः प्रेषितोऽसि दुरात्मना । कुरु युद्धं वृथा वादं मुञ्च मूढमतेऽधुना
You are strong and accompanied by strength, sent by an evil one; fight, or else abandon your foolish arguments now.
हत्वा शुम्भं निशुम्भञ्च त्वदन्यान्वा बलाधिकान् । देवी क्रुद्धा शराघातैर्व्रजिष्यति निजालयम्
Once the enraged Goddess has slain Śumbha, Niśumbha, and others stronger than you with her arrows, she will return to her own abode.
क्वासौ मन्दमतिः शुम्भः क्व वा विश्वविमोहिनी । अयुक्तः खलु संसारे विवाहविधिरेतयोः
Where is that dull-witted Śumbha, and where is the Enchantress of the universe? Truly, marriage between these two is not proper in this world.
सिंही किं त्वतिकामार्ता जम्बुकं कुरुते पतिम् । करिणी गर्दभं वापि गवयं सुरभिः किमु
Does a lioness, even if overwhelmed by desire, take a jackal as her mate? Does an elephant cow choose a donkey, or the divine cow Surabhi a wild ox?
गच्छ शुम्भं निशुम्भं च वद सत्यं वचो मम । कुरु युद्धं न चेद्याहि पातालं तरसाधुना
Go and tell Śumbha and Niśumbha my true words: fight, or if not, then swiftly descend to the netherworld now.
व्यास उवाच कालिकायावचः श्रुत्वा स दैत्यो धूम्रलोचनः । तामुवाच महाभाग क्रोधसंरक्तलोचनः
Vyāsa said: Hearing Kālī's words, that demon Dhumralocana, his eyes red with anger, spoke to her, O noble one.
दुर्दर्शे त्वां निहत्याजौ सिंहञ्च मदगर्वितम् । गृहीत्वैनां गमिष्यामि राजानं प्रत्यहं किल
O fierce one, after killing you in battle and your prideful lion, I will seize you and bring you to the king each day.
रसभङ्गभयात्कालि बिभेमि त्विह साम्प्रतम् । नोचेत्त्वां निशितैर्बाणैर्हन्म्यद्य कलहप्रिये
Kālī, I fear now only the loss of taste; otherwise, O lover of conflict, I would slay you today with sharp arrows.
कालिकोवाच किं विकत्थसि मन्दात्मन्नायं धर्मो धनुष्मताम् । स्वशक्त्या मुञ्च विशिखान्गन्तासि यमसंसदि
Kālī said: Why do you boast, O dull-witted one? This is not the conduct of warriors. Discharge your arrows with your own strength—you will go to Yama's assembly.
व्यास उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं दैत्यः संगृह्य कार्मुकं दृढम् । कालिकां तां शरासारैर्ववर्षातिशिलाशितैः
Vyāsa said: Hearing those words, the demon grasped his sturdy bow and showered Kālī with a torrent of arrows, sharp as stones.
देवास्तु प्रेक्षकास्तत्र विमानवरसंस्थिताः । तां स्तुवन्तो जयेत्यूचुर्देवीं शक्रपुरोगमाः
The gods stood as spectators there, stationed in excellent aerial chariots; led by Indra, they praised the Goddess, exclaiming, 'Victory!'
तयोः परस्परं युद्धं प्रवृत्तं चातिदारुणम् । बाणखड्गगदाशक्तिमुसलादिभिरुत्कटम्
A fierce battle then began between the two, dreadful and intense, fought with arrows, swords, maces, spears, clubs, and other weapons.
कालिका बाणपातैस्तु हत्वा पूर्वं खरानथ । बभञ्ज तद्रथं व्यूढं जहास च मुहुर्मुहुः
Kālī first slew the donkeys with her arrows, then broke that well-formed chariot, and laughed again and again.
स चान्यं रथमारूढः कोपेन प्रज्वलन्निव । बाणवृष्टिं चकारोग्रां कालिकोपरि भारत
He mounted another chariot, blazing with fury, and unleashed a fierce shower of arrows upon Kālī, O Bhārata.
सापि चिच्छेद तरसा तस्य बाणानसङ्गतान् । मुमोचान्यानुग्रवेगान्दानवोपरि कालिका
But Kālī swiftly cut down his arrows as they came, and released her own, of terrible speed, upon the demon.
तैर्बाणैर्निहतास्तस्य पार्ष्णिग्राहा सहस्रशः । बभञ्ज च रथं वेगात्सूतं हत्वा खरानपि
By those arrows, his charioteers were struck down by the thousands; she broke his chariot with force, slew the driver, and the donkeys as well.
चिच्छेद तद्धनुः सद्यो बाणैरुरगसन्निभैः । मुदं चक्रे सुराणां सा शङ्खनादं तथाकरोत्
She immediately cut his bow with arrows like serpents, delighted the gods, and sounded the conch in triumph.
विरथः परिघं गृह्य सर्वलोहमयं दृढम् । आजगाम रथोपस्थं कुपितो धूम्रलोचनः
Viratha, seizing a massive iron club, approached the chariot in anger, his eyes smoky.
वाचा निर्भर्त्सयन्कालीं करालः कालसन्निभः । अद्यैव त्वां हनिष्यामि कुरूपे पिङ्गलोचने
With harsh words, grim and dark as death, he rebuked Kali: 'Today I will kill you, ugly one with tawny eyes.'
इत्युक्त्वा सहसाऽऽगत्य परिघं क्षिपते यदा । हुङ्कारेणैव तं भस्म चकार तरसाम्बिका
Having spoken thus, he rushed forward and hurled the club; but with a single roar, Ambika swiftly reduced him to ashes.
दृष्ट्वा भस्मीकृतं दैत्यं सैनिका भयविह्वलाः । चक्रुः पलायनं सद्यो हा तातेत्यब्रुवन्पथि
Seeing the demon turned to ashes, the soldiers, overwhelmed by fear, immediately fled, crying 'Alas, father!' as they ran.
देवास्तं निहतं दृष्ट्वा दानवं धूम्रलोचनम् । मुमुचुः पुष्पवृष्टिं ते मुदिता गगने स्थिताः
The gods, witnessing the death of the demon Dhumralocana, released a shower of flowers, rejoicing as they stood in the sky.
रणभूमिस्तदा राजन् दारुणा समपद्यत । निहतैर्दानवैरश्वैः खरैश्च वारणैस्तथा
O King, the battlefield then became dreadful, strewn with slain demons, horses, mules, and elephants.
गृध्राः काका वटाः श्येना वरफा जम्बुकास्तथा । ननृतुश्चुक्रुशुः प्रेतान्पतितान् रणभूमिषु
Vultures, crows, bats, hawks, jackals, and wild dogs danced and howled over the corpses fallen on the battlefield.
अम्बिका तद्रणस्थानं त्यक्त्वा दूरं स्थलान्तरे । गत्वा चकार चाप्युग्रं शङ्खनादं भयप्रदम्
Ambika, leaving that place of battle, went far away to another spot and sounded a fierce, terrifying conch.
तं श्रुत्वा दरशब्दं तु शुम्भः सद्मनि संस्थितः । दृष्ट्वाथ दानवान्भग्नानागतान् रुधिरोक्षितान्
Hearing that fearful sound, Shumbha, seated in his palace, saw the demons broken, returning covered in blood.
छिन्नपादकराक्षांश्च मञ्चकारोपितानपि । भग्नपृष्ठकटिग्रीवान्क्रन्दमानाननेकशः
He saw those with severed limbs, placed on stretchers, their backs, hips, and necks broken, many crying out in pain.
वीक्ष्य शुम्भो निशुम्भश्च क्व गतो धूम्रलोचनः । कथं भग्नाः समायाता नानीता किं वरानना
Shumbha and Nishumbha asked, 'Where has Dhumralocana gone? How have you returned defeated? Why was the beautiful one not brought?'
सैन्यं कुत्र गतं मन्दाः कथयन्तु यथोचितम् । कस्यायं शङ्खनादोऽद्य श्रूयते भयवर्धनः
'Where has the army gone, fools? Speak as is fitting. Whose conch sound is heard today, increasing fear?'