मरणं त्वनिवार्यं वै प्राणिनां कालकल्पितम् । तद्भयं जन्मनोपात्तं त्यजेत्को दुर्लभं यशः
Death is inevitable for all living beings, ordained by time; who would abandon rare fame out of fear that is born with birth?
निशुम्भाहं गमिष्यामि रथारूढो रणाजिरे । हत्वा तामागमिष्यामि नागमिष्यामि चान्यथा
I, Nishumbha, will go to the battlefield mounted on my chariot; having slain her, I will return—otherwise, I will not come back.
त्वं तु सेनायुतो वीर पार्ष्णिग्राहो भवस्व मे । तरसा तां शरैस्तीक्ष्णैर्नारीं नय यमालये
But you, O hero, with your army, be my rear guard; swiftly lead that woman to the abode of Yama with sharp arrows.
निशुम्भ उवाच अहमद्य हनिष्यामि गत्वा दुष्टाञ्च कालिकाम् । आगमिष्याम्यहं शीघ्रं गृहीत्वा तामथाम्बिकाम्
Nishumbha said: Today I will go and slay the wicked Kali, and I will quickly return, having seized that Ambika.
मा चिन्तां कुरु राजेन्द्र वराकायास्तु कारणे । क्वैषा बाला क्व मे बाहुवीर्यं विश्ववशङ्करम्
Do not worry, O king, on account of that wretched woman; what is she, a mere girl, compared to my world-subduing strength of arms?
त्यक्त्वाऽऽर्तिं विपुलां भ्रातर्भुंक्ष भोगाननुत्तमान् । आनयिष्याम्यहं कामं मानिनीं मानसंयुताम्
Abandon your great distress, brother, and enjoy supreme pleasures; I will bring you, as you desire, that proud, high-minded woman.
मयि तिष्ठति ते राजन्न युक्तं गमनं रणे । गत्वाहमानयिष्यामि तवार्थे वै जयश्रियम्
O King, while I am present, it is not fitting for you to go into battle; I will go and bring the glory of victory for your sake.
व्यास उवाच इत्युक्त्वा भ्रातरं ज्येष्ठं कनीयान्बलगर्वितः । रथमास्थाय विपुलं सन्नद्धः स्वबलावृतः
Vyasa said: Having spoken thus to his elder brother, the younger, proud of his strength, mounted his great chariot, fully armored and surrounded by his own forces.
जगाम तरसा तूर्णं सङ्गरे कृतमङ्गलः । संस्तुतो बन्दिसूतैश्च सायुधः सपरिष्करः
He swiftly proceeded to the battlefield, having performed auspicious rites, praised by bards and charioteers, armed and fully equipped.
युद्धात्प्रत्यागतानां रक्षसां शुम्भाय वार्तावर्णनम् व्यास उवाच निशुम्भो निश्चयं कृत्वा मरणाय जयाय वा । सोद्यमः सबलः शूरो रणे देवीमुपाययौ
Vyasa said: Nishumbha, having resolved upon either death or victory, set out with effort and his army, courageous, and approached the Goddess in battle.
तमाजगाम शुम्भोऽपि स्वबलेन समावृतः । प्रेक्षकोऽभूद्रणे राजा संग्रामरसपण्डितः
Shumbha too came there, surrounded by his own forces; the king, skilled in the taste of battle, became an onlooker in the fight.
गगने संस्थिता देवास्तदाभ्रपटलावृताः । दिदृक्षवस्तु संग्रामे सेन्द्रा यक्षगणास्तथा
The gods, then, stationed in the sky and veiled by masses of clouds, along with Indra and the hosts of Yakshas, desired to witness that battle.
निशुम्भोऽथ रणे गत्वा धनुरादाय शार्ङ्गकम् । चकार शरवृष्टिं स भीषयञ्जगदम्बिकाम्
Then Nishumbha, having gone into battle, took up his excellent bow and showered arrows, terrifying the Mother of the Universe.
मुञ्चन्तं शरजालानि निशुम्भं चण्डिका रणे । वीक्ष्यादाय धनुः श्रेष्ठं जहास सुस्वरं मुहुः
Seeing Nishumbha releasing volleys of arrows in battle, Chandika took up her best bow and repeatedly laughed melodiously.
उवाच कालिकां देवी पश्य मूर्खत्वमेतयोः । मरणायागतौ कालि मत्समीपमिहाधुना
The Goddess said to Kali: Behold the folly of these two, Kali; they have now come near me for their death.
दृष्ट्वा दैत्यवधं घोरं रक्तबीजात्ययं तथा । जयाशां कुरुतस्त्वेतौ मोहितौ मम मायया
Having seen the dreadful slaughter of the demons and the destruction of Raktabija, these two, hoping for victory, are deluded by my maya.
आशा बलवती ह्येषा न जहाति नरं क्वचित् । भग्नं हृतबलं नष्टं गतपक्षं विचेतनम्
Hope is indeed powerful; it never abandons a man, even when he is broken, deprived of strength, lost, bereft of allies, and unconscious.
आशापाशनिबद्धौ द्वौ युद्धाय समुपागतौ । निहन्तव्यौ मया कालि रणे शुम्भनिशुम्भकौ
Bound by the noose of hope, these two have come to fight; O Kali, Shumbha and Nishumbha are to be slain by me in battle.
आसन्नमरणावेतौ सम्प्राप्तौ दैवमोहितौ । पश्यतां सर्वदेवानां हनिष्याम्यहमद्य तौ
Now, these two, their death near and deluded by fate, have arrived; today, in the sight of all the gods, I shall slay them.
व्यास उवाच इत्युक्त्वा कालिकां चण्डी कर्णाकृष्टशरोत्करैः । छादयामास तरसा निशुम्भं पुरतः स्थितम्
Vyasa said: Having spoken thus to Kali, Chandika, with arrows drawn to her ear, swiftly covered Nishumbha, who stood before her.
दानवोऽपि शरांस्तस्याश्चिच्छेद निशितैः शरैः । तयोः परस्परं युद्धं बभूवातिभयानकम्
The demon too cut down her arrows with his sharp shafts; between the two, a most terrifying battle took place.
केसरी केशजालानि धुन्वानः सैन्यसागरम् । गाहयामास बलवान्सरसीं वारणो यथा
The lion, shaking its mane, plunged into the ocean of armies, making them sink as a mighty elephant does a lake.
नखैर्दन्तप्रहारैस्तु दानवान्पुरतः स्थितान् । चखाद च विशीर्णाङ्गान् गजानिव मदोत्कटान्
With claws and blows of its teeth, it tore apart the demons standing before it, and devoured their shattered bodies like a maddened elephant.
एवं विमथ्यमाने तु सैन्ये केसरिणा तदा । अभ्यधावन्निशुम्भोऽथ विकृष्टवरकार्मुकः
Thus, as the army was being crushed by the lion, then Nishumbha, drawing his excellent bow, rushed forward.
अन्येऽपि क्रुद्धा दैत्येन्द्रा देवीं हन्तुमुपाययुः । सन्दष्टदन्तरसना रक्तनेत्रा ह्यनेकशः
Other enraged lords of the Daityas also approached the Goddess to slay her, their teeth clenched, their eyes bloodshot, coming again and again.
तत्राजगाम तरसा शुम्भः सैन्यसमावृतः । निहत्य कालिकां कोपाद्ग्रहीतुं जगदम्बिकाम्
Thereupon, Śumbha arrived swiftly, surrounded by his army, and, having slain Kālī in his fury, sought to seize the Mother of the Universe.
तत्रागत्य ददर्शाजावम्बिकाञ्च पुरःस्थिताम् । रौद्ररसयुतां कान्तां शृङ्गाररससंयुताम्
Arriving there, he saw Ambikā standing before him—fierce in mood yet beautiful, embodying both wrath and the essence of love.
तां वीक्ष्य विपुलापाङ्गीं त्रैलोक्यवरसुन्दरीम् । सुरक्तनयनां रम्यां क्रोधरक्तेक्षणां तथा
Beholding her, with wide, enchanting eyes, the most beautiful in the three worlds, her lovely eyes deeply red, blazing with the fire of anger—
विवाहेच्छां परित्यज्य जयाशां दूरतस्तथा । मरणे निश्चयं कृत्वा तस्थावाहितकार्मुकः
Abandoning all desire for marriage and hope of victory, he resolved upon death, and stood ready, his bow drawn.
तं तथा दानवं देवी स्मितपूर्वमिदं वचः । बभाषे शृण्वतां तेषां दैत्यानां रणमस्तके
Then the Goddess, smiling, spoke these words to that Dānava, as the Daityas listened atop the battlefield: