तेन नादेन शक्राद्या जहर्षुरमरास्तदा । मुनयो यक्षगन्धर्वाः सिद्धाः साध्याश्च किन्नराः
She too sounded her conch, filling the ten directions; and the mighty lion, enraged, let out a great roar at that moment.
युद्धं परस्परं तत्र जातं कातरभीतिदम् । चण्डिकाचण्डयोस्तीव्रं बाणखड्गगदादिभिः
There arose a fierce and terrifying battle between Chandika and Chandamunda, with arrows, swords, maces, and other weapons.
चण्डमुक्ताञ्छरान्देवी चिच्छेद निशितैः शरैः । मुमोच पुनरुग्रान्सा बाणांश्च पन्नगानिव
The goddess cut down the arrows released by Chanda with her own sharp arrows, and then she unleashed her own fierce shafts like serpents.
गगनं छादितं तत्र संग्रामे विशिखैस्तदा । शलभैरिव मेघान्ते कर्षकाणां भयप्रदैः
In that battle, the sky was covered with arrows, like swarms of locusts at the end of the monsoon, striking fear into farmers.
मुण्डोऽपि सैनिकैः सार्धं पपात तरसा रणे । मुमोच बाणवृष्टिं वै क्रुद्धः परमदारुणः
Munda too, along with his troops, rushed into the battle and, enraged and terribly fierce, released a shower of arrows.
बाणजालं महद् दृष्ट्वा कुद्धा तत्राम्बिका भृशम् । कोपेन वदनं तस्या बभूव घनसन्निभम्
Seeing that great volley of arrows, Ambika became intensely angry, and her face grew dark as a thundercloud with wrath.
कदलीपुष्पनेत्रञ्च भृकुटीकुटिलं तदा । निष्क्रान्ता च तदा काली ललाटफलकाद्द्रुतम्
Her eyes became like plantain flowers, her brows furrowed deeply, and at that moment Kali swiftly emerged from her forehead.
व्याघ्रचर्माम्बरा क्रूरा गजचर्मोत्तरीयका । मुण्डमालाधरा घोरा शुष्कवापीसमोदरा
She was fierce, clad in a tiger-skin garment, with an upper cloth of elephant hide, adorned with a garland of skulls, and her belly was as sunken as a dried-up well.
खड्गपाशधरातीव भीषणा भयदायिनी । खट्वाङ्गधारिणी रौद्रा कालरात्रिरिवापरा
Terrifying, bearing sword and noose, wielding a club, dreadful as the night of dissolution, she inspired fear in all.
विस्तीर्णवदना जिह्वां चालयन्ती मुहुर्मुहुः । विस्तारजघना वेगाज्जघानासुरसैनिकान्
With her wide mouth, she repeatedly moved her tongue, and with her broad hips, she swiftly struck down the demon soldiers.
करे कृत्वा महावीरांस्तरसा सा रुषान्विता । मुखे चिक्षेप दैतेयान्पिपेष दशनैः शनैः
Seizing mighty warriors in her hand, she angrily threw them into her mouth and slowly crushed them with her teeth.
गजान्घण्टान्वितान्हस्ते गृहीत्वा निदधौ मुखे । सारोहान्भक्षयित्वाजौ साट्टहासं चकार ह
Grabbing those with elephant bells on their limbs, she placed them in her mouth; after devouring them on the battlefield, she laughed loudly.
तथैव तुरगानुष्ट्रांस्तथा सारथिभिः सह । निक्षिप्य वक्त्त्रे दशनैश्चर्वयत्यतिभैरवम्
In the same way, she seized horses and camels along with their charioteers, and with her teeth, she chewed them in a most terrifying manner.
हन्यमानं बलं प्रेक्ष्य चण्डमुण्डौ महासुरौ । छादयामासतुर्देवीं बाणासारैरनन्तरैः
Seeing their army being destroyed, the great demons Chanda and Munda covered the goddess with a continuous stream of arrows.
चण्डश्चण्डकरच्छायं चक्रं चक्रधरायुधम् । चिक्षेप तरसा देवीं ननाद च मुहुर्मुहुः
Chanda, with hands like thunderbolts, hurled a discus, radiant as the sun and sharp as that of Vishnu, at the goddess and roared again and again.
नदन्तं वीक्ष्य तं काली रथाङ्गञ्च रविप्रभम् । बाणेनैकेन चिच्छेद सुप्रभं तत्सुदर्शनम्
Seeing him roaring and the radiant discus, Kali cut that brilliant Sudarshana with a single arrow.
तं जघान शरैस्तीक्ष्णैश्चण्डं चण्डी शिलाशितैः । मूर्च्छितोऽसौ पपातोर्व्यां देवीबाणार्दितो भृशम्
Chandi struck Chanda with sharp, stone-tipped arrows; wounded by the goddess's arrows, he fell unconscious to the earth.
पतितं भ्रातरं वीक्ष्य मुण्डो दुःखार्दितस्तदा । चकार शरवृष्टिञ्च कालिकोपरि कोपतः
Seeing his brother fallen, Munda, overcome with grief, angrily rained down arrows upon Kali.
चण्डिका मुण्डनिर्मुक्तां शरवृष्टिं सुदारुणाम् । ईषिकास्त्रैर्बलान्मुक्तैश्चकार तिलशः क्षणात्
Chandika unleashed a terrible shower of arrows, freed from the heads of Munda, and with reeds transformed by force into missiles, she reduced them to atoms in an instant.
अर्धचन्द्रेण बाणेन ताडयामास तं पुनः । पतितोऽसौ महावीर्यो मेदिन्यां मदवर्जितः
Again, with a crescent-shaped arrow, she struck him; deprived of his arrogance, that mighty hero fell to the earth.
हाहाकारो महानासीद्दानवानां बले तदा । जहर्षुरमराः सर्वे गगनस्था गतव्यथाः
Then a great cry of distress arose in the army of the demons, while all the gods standing in the sky rejoiced, their fears dispelled.
विहाय मूर्च्छां चण्डस्तु संगृह्य महतीं गदाम् । तरसा ताडयामास कालिकां दक्षिणे भुजे
Abandoning his faintness, Chanda seized a great mace and swiftly struck Kali on her right arm.
वञ्चयित्वा गदाघातं तं बबन्ध महासुरम् । तरसा बाणपाशेन मन्त्रमुक्तेन कालिका
Evading the blow of the mace, Kali bound that great demon with a magical noose of arrows, cast with force.
उत्थितस्तु तदा मुण्डो बद्धं दृष्ट्वानुजं बलात् । आजगाम सुसन्नद्धः शक्तिं कृत्वा करे दृढाम्
Then Munda, seeing his brother forcibly bound, rose up, well-armored, grasping a spear firmly in his hand.
आगच्छन्तं तदा काली दानवं वीक्ष्य सत्वरम् । बबन्ध तरसा तं तु द्वितीयं भ्रातरं भृशम्
As that demon approached swiftly, Kali saw him and with great force bound the second brother as well.
गृहीत्वा तौ महावीर्यौ चण्डमुण्डौ शशाविव । कुर्वती विपुलं हासमाजगामाम्बिकां प्रति
Seizing those two mighty warriors, Chanda and Munda, as if they were hares, she approached Ambika, laughing loudly.
आगत्य तामथोवाच गृहाणेमौ पशू प्रिये । रणयज्ञार्थमानीतौ दानवौ रणदुर्जयौ
Having arrived, she said, 'Dearest, take these two beasts—these unconquerable demons have been brought for the battle-sacrifice.'
तावानीतौ तदा वीक्ष्य चण्डिका तौ वृकाविव । अम्बिका कालिकां प्राह माधुरीसंयुतं वचः
Seeing them brought like two wolves, Chandika spoke to Kali with sweet words.
वधं मा कुरु मा मुञ्च चतुरासि रणप्रिये । देवानां कार्यसंसिद्धिः कर्तव्या तरसा त्वया
'Do not kill them, nor release them, O clever one who delights in battle; you must swiftly accomplish the gods' purpose.'
व्यास उवाच इति तस्या वचः श्रुत्वा कालिका प्राह तां पुनः । युद्धयज्ञेऽतिविख्याते खड्गयूपे प्रतिष्ठिते
Vyasa said: Hearing her words, Kali replied again, 'In this renowned battle-sacrifice, with the sword as the sacrificial post—'