कुलं रक्ष महाराज पातालं गच्छ सत्वरम् । क्रुद्धा देवी क्षयं सद्यः करिष्यति न संशयः
O great king, protect your clan; quickly go to the netherworld. The goddess, enraged, will bring destruction at once—there is no doubt.
सिंहोऽपि भक्षयत्याजौ दानवान्दनुजेश्वर । तथैव कालिका देवी हन्ति बाणैरनेकधा
Even the lion devours the demons in battle, O lord of the Danavas; likewise, the goddess Kali slays many with her arrows.
तस्मात्त्वमपि राजेन्द्र मरणाय मृषा मतिम् । करोषि सहितो भ्रात्रा शुम्भेन कुपिताशयः
Therefore, O king of kings, you too, together with your brother Shumbha, are making your mind ready for death, filled with anger.
किं करिष्यति नार्येषा क्रूरा कुलविनाशिनी । यस्या हेतोर्महाराज हन्तुमिच्छसि बान्धवान्
What will this cruel woman, destroyer of clans, do? For her sake, O great king, you wish to kill your own kin.
दैवाधीनौ महाराज लोके जयपराजयौ । अल्पार्थाय महद्दुःखं बुद्धिमान्न प्रकल्पयेत्
Victory and defeat in this world, O great king, are subject to fate; the wise should not bring great suffering for a trivial cause.
चित्रं पश्य विधेः कर्म यदधीनं जगत् प्रभो । निहता राक्षसाः सर्वे स्त्रिया पश्यैकयानया
Behold the wondrous workings of destiny, O Lord, by which the world is governed; see how all the demons have been slain by this one woman.
जेता त्वं लोकपालानां सैन्ययुक्तो हि साम्प्रतम् । एका प्रार्थयते बाला युद्धायेति सुसम्भ्रमः
You, who are now the conqueror of the guardians of the worlds, supported by armies, are challenged to battle by a single young woman, and there is great commotion.
पुरा त्वया तपस्तप्तं पुष्करे देवतायने । वरदानाय सम्प्राप्तो ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः
Once, you performed austerities at Pushkara, the abode of the gods; Brahma, the grandfather of the worlds, came to grant you a boon.
धात्रोक्तस्त्वं महाराज वरं वरय सुव्रत । तदा त्वयामरत्वं च प्रार्थितं ब्रह्मणः किल
O great king, the Creator said: 'Choose a boon, O virtuous one.' Then you requested immortality from Brahma, it is said.
देवदैत्यमनुष्येभ्यो न भवेन्मरणं मम । सर्पकिन्नरयक्षेभ्यः पुंल्लिङ्गवाचकादपि
From gods, demons, and humans, let there be no death for me; nor from serpents, kinnaras, yakshas, nor from any male being.
तस्मात्त्वां हन्तुकामैषा प्राप्ता योषिद्वरा प्रभो । युद्धं मा कुरु राजेन्द्र विचार्यैवं धियाधुना
Therefore, O Lord, she has come to slay you, taking the form of a woman. O king of kings, do not fight; reflect on this with your mind now.
देवी ह्येषा महामाया प्रकृतिः परमा मता । कल्पान्तकाले राजेन्द्र सर्वसंहारकारिणी
This goddess is the great illusion, regarded as the supreme nature; at the end of the world-cycle, O king, she brings about the destruction of all.
उत्पादयित्री लोकानां देवानामीश्वरी शुभा । त्रिगुणा तामसी देवी सर्वशक्तिसमन्विता
She is the creator of the worlds, the auspicious ruler of the gods; the goddess, endowed with the three qualities and darkness, possesses all powers.
अजय्या चाक्षया नित्या सर्वज्ञा च सदोदिता । वेदमाता च गायत्री सन्ध्या सर्वसुरालया
She is unconquerable, eternal, all-knowing, ever manifest; the mother of the Vedas, Gayatri, Sandhya, and the abode of all gods.
निर्गुणा सगुणा सिद्धा सर्वसिद्धिप्रदाव्यया । आनन्दानन्ददा गौरी देवानामभयप्रदा
She is beyond attributes and with attributes, accomplished, the giver of all accomplishments, imperishable; Gauri, who gives bliss and joy, grants fearlessness to the gods.
एवं ज्ञात्वा महाराज वैरभावं त्यजानया । शरणं व्रज राजेन्द्र देवी त्वां पालयिष्यति
Knowing thus, O great king, abandon hostility; take refuge, O lord of kings, the Goddess will protect you.
आज्ञाकरो भवैतस्याः सञ्जीवय निजं कुलम् । हतशेषाश्च ये दैत्यास्ते भवन्तु चिरायुषः
Become obedient to her command and revive your lineage; let those demons who remain after the slaughter live long lives.
व्यास उवाच इति तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा शुम्भः सुरबलार्दनः । उवाच वचनं तथ्यं वीरवर्यगुणान्वितम्
Vyasa said: Hearing their words, Shumbha, the destroyer of the gods' forces, spoke truthful words, endowed with the qualities of a great hero.
शुम्भ उवाच मौनं कुर्वन्तु भो मन्दा यूयं भग्ना रणाजिरात् । शीघ्रं गच्छत पातालं जीविताशा बलीयसी
Shumbha said: Be silent, you fools, you who have been broken on the battlefield; quickly go to the underworld, for your hope of life is strong.
दैवाधीनं जगत्सर्वं का चिन्तात्र जये मम । देवास्तथैव ब्रह्माद्या दैवाधीना वयं यथा
The whole world is dependent on fate—why should I worry about victory? The gods, Brahma and the rest, are also subject to fate, just as we are.
ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च रुद्रोऽयं यमोऽग्निर्वरुणस्तथा । सूर्यश्चन्द्रस्तथा शक्रः सर्वे दैववशाः किल
Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Yama, Agni, Varuna, Surya, Chandra, and Indra—all are certainly under the power of fate.
का चिन्ता तर्हि मे मन्दा यद्भावि तद्भविष्यति । उद्यमस्तादृशो भूयाद्यादृशी भवितव्यता
Why then should I worry, you dull-witted ones? What is destined to happen will happen; let my effort be in accordance with what is to be.
सर्वथैव विचार्यैव न शोचन्ति बुधाः क्वचित् । स्वधर्मं न त्यजन्तीह ज्ञानिनो मरणाद्भयात्
The wise never grieve after due consideration; those who know do not abandon their own duty here out of fear of death.
सुखं दुःखं तथैवायुर्जीवितं मरणं नृणाम् । काले भवति सम्प्राप्ते सर्वथा दैवनिर्मितम्
Happiness and sorrow, lifespan, life and death for men—all occur at the appointed time, entirely fashioned by fate.
ब्रह्मा पतति काले स्वे विष्णुश्च पार्वतीपतिः । नाशं गच्छन्त्यायुषोऽन्ते सर्वे देवाः सवासवाः
Brahma falls at his own time, as does Vishnu, the lord of Parvati; at the end of their lifespan, all the gods, including Indra, perish.
तथाहमपि कालस्य वशगः सर्वथाधुना । नाशं जयं वा गन्तास्मि स्वधर्मपरिपालनात्
So now I too am completely under the power of time; whether I meet destruction or victory, I will uphold my own duty.
आहूतोऽप्यनया कामं युद्धायाबलया किल । कथं पलायनपरो जीवेयं शरदां शतम्
Even though I have been called by her, powerless as I am, for battle, how could I, intent on fleeing, live a hundred years?
करिष्याम्यद्य संग्रामं यद्भावि तद्भवत्विह । जयो वा मरणं वापि स्वीकरोमि यथा तथा
Today I will fight this battle; let what is to be, happen here. Whether victory or death, I accept it as it comes.
दैवं मिथ्येति विद्वांसो वदन्त्युद्यमवादिनः । युक्तियुक्तं वचस्तेषां ये जानन्त्यभिभाषितम्
The learned who advocate effort say that fate is false; their words are reasonable, for they know what is spoken.
उद्यमेन विना कामं न सिध्यन्ति मनोरथाः । कातरा एव जल्पन्ति यद्भाव्यं तद्भविष्यति
Without effort, desires are certainly not fulfilled; only the timid say, 'What is to be, will be.'