तानागतान्सुसम्प्रेक्ष्य शुम्भः शत्रुनिषूदनः । पप्रच्छ क्व निशुम्भोऽसौ कथं भग्नाः पलायिताः ॥ ४२ तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं राज्ञस्ते प्रोचुः प्रणता भृशम् । राजंस्ते निहतो भ्राता शेते समरमूर्धनि
Seeing them arrive, Śumbha, destroyer of enemies, asked, 'Where is Niśumbha? How were you defeated and made to flee?'
तया निपातिताः शूरा ये च तेऽप्यनुजानुगाः । वयं त्वां कथितुं सर्वं वृत्तान्तं समुपागताः
Those warriors, deeply bowed, replied upon hearing the king’s words: 'O King, your brother has been slain and lies on the battlefield.'
निशुम्भो निहतस्तत्र तया चण्डिकयाधुना । न हि युद्धस्य कालोऽद्य तव राजन् रणाङ्गणे
The heroes who followed him have also been struck down by her; we have come to tell you all that has happened.
देवकार्यं समुद्दिश्य कापीयं परमाङ्गना । हन्तुं दैत्यकुलं नूनं प्राप्तेति परिचिन्तय
Niśumbha has just been killed by Caṇḍikā; today is not the time for you to fight in the arena of battle, O King.
नैषा प्राकृतयोषैव देवी शक्तिरनुत्तमा । अचिन्त्यचरिता क्वापि दुर्ज्ञेया दैवतैरपि
Reflect that the supreme Goddess has come, intent on the gods’ purpose, to destroy the demon clan.
नानारूपधरातीव मायामूलविशारदा । विचित्रभूषणा देवी सर्वायुधधरा शुभा
She is not an ordinary woman; the Goddess is the highest power, her deeds unfathomable, difficult to comprehend even for the gods.
गहना गूढचरिता कालरात्रिरिवापरा । अपारपारगा पूर्णा सर्वलक्षणसंयुता
She assumes many forms, skilled in the magic of illusion, wondrously adorned, bearing all weapons, and auspicious.
अन्तरिक्षस्थिता देवास्तां स्तुवन्त्यकुतोभयाः । देवकार्यञ्च कुर्वाणां श्रीदेवीं परमाद्भुताम्
Profound and secret in her ways, like another Kālarātri, boundless and complete, endowed with all marks.
पलायनं परो धर्मः सर्वथा देहरक्षणम् । रक्षिते किल देहेस्मिन्कालेऽस्मत्सुखताङ्गते
The gods, fearless, praise her as she stands in the sky, performing the gods’ work, the wondrous Goddess.
संग्रामे विजयो राजन् भविता ते न संशयः । कालः करोति बलिनं समये निर्बलं क्वचित्
Flight is the highest duty, always, for the protection of the body; when the body is preserved, happiness remains for us.
तं पुनः सबलं कृत्वा जयायोपदधाति हि । दातारं याचकं कालः करोति समये क्वचित्
Time again makes him powerful and places him in victory; the donor and the beggar are sometimes exchanged by time.
भिक्षुकं धनदातारं करोति समयान्तरे । विष्णुः कालवशे नूनं ब्रह्मा वा पार्वतीपतिः
At another moment, time turns the beggar into a giver of wealth; indeed, Vishnu, Brahma, or Shiva are subject to time.
इन्द्राद्या निर्जराः सर्वे काल एव प्रभुः स्वयम् । तस्मात्कालं प्रतीक्षस्व विपरीतं तवाधुना
All the immortals, including Indra and others, are governed by time alone; therefore, wait for time, which is now unfavorable to you.
सम्मुखो देवतानाञ्च दैत्यानां नाशहेतुकः । एकैव च गतिर्नास्ति कालस्य किल भूपते
Time stands before the gods and demons as the cause of their destruction; truly, O king, there is no other path but that of time.
नानारूपधराप्यस्ति ज्ञातव्यं तस्य चेष्टितम् । कदाचित्सम्भवो नॄणां कदाचित्प्रलयस्तथा
Though time assumes many forms, its actions must be understood; sometimes it brings creation for men, sometimes dissolution.
उत्पत्तिहेतुः कालोऽन्यः क्षयहेतुस्तथापरः । प्रत्यक्षं ते महाराज देवाः सर्वे सवासवाः
One kind of time is the cause of creation, another of destruction; you see directly, O great king, all the gods with Indra.
करदास्ते कृताः पूर्वं कालेन सम्मुखेन च । तेनैव विमुखेनाद्य बलिनोऽबलयासुराः
Previously, the gods were made tribute-payers by time when it was favorable; now, by that same time turned away, the powerful demons have become weak.
निहता नितरां कालः करोति च शुभाशुभम् । नैवात्र कारणं काली नैव देवाः सनातनाः
Time utterly destroys and brings forth good and evil; neither Kali nor the eternal gods are the cause here.
यथा ते रोचते राजंस्तथा कुरु विमृश्य च । कालोऽयं नात्र हेतुस्ते दानवानां तथा पुनः
Do as you wish, O king, after considering; time is not the cause here, nor again for the demons.
त्वदग्रतो गतः शक्रो भग्नः संख्ये निरायुधः । तथा विष्णुस्तथा रुद्रो वरुणो धनदो यमः
Indra has gone before you, defeated in battle and weaponless; likewise Vishnu, likewise Rudra, Varuna, Kubera, and Yama.
तथा त्वमपि राजेन्द्र वीक्ष्य कालवशं जगत् । पातालं गच्छ तरसा जीवन्भद्रमवाप्स्यसि
So you too, O king, seeing the world under the sway of time, go swiftly to the netherworld; you will attain safety while living.
मृते त्वयि महाराज शत्रवस्ते मुदान्विताः । मङ्गलानि प्रगायन्तो विचरिष्यन्ति सर्वतः
When you die, O great king, your enemies, filled with joy, will wander everywhere singing auspicious songs.
अथैकत्रिंशोऽध्यायः व्यास उवाच। इति तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा शुम्भो दैत्यपतिस्तदा । उवाच सैनिकानाशु कोपाकुलितलोचनः
Chapter Thirty-One. Vyasa said: Hearing these words, Shumbha, the lord of the demons, then spoke to his soldiers, his eyes inflamed with anger.
शुम्भ उवाच। जाल्मा: किं ब्रूत दुर्वाच्यं कृत्वा जीवितुमुत्सहे । निहत्य सचिवान्भ्रातॄन्निर्लज्जो विचरामि किम्
Shumbha said: How can I bear to live after doing such disgraceful deeds? Having killed my ministers and brothers, how can I shamelessly wander?
कालः कर्ता शुभानां वाऽशुभानां बलवत्तरः । का चिंता मम दुर्वारे तस्मिन्नीशेऽप्यरूपके
Time is the agent of good or evil, stronger than all; what worry can I have about that which is unrestrainable and formless?
यद्भवति तद्भवतु यत्करोति करोतु तत् । न मे चिंताऽस्ति कुत्रापि मरणाज्जीवनात्तथा
Let whatever happens, happen; let whatever is done, be done; I have no concern anywhere, whether for death or for life.
स कालोऽप्यन्यथा कर्तुं भावितो नेशते क्वचित् । न वर्षति च पर्जन्यः श्रावणे मासि सर्वदा
Even time, though determined, cannot always act otherwise; the rain-cloud does not always pour in the month of Shravan.
कदाचिन्मार्गशीर्षे वा पौषे माघेऽथ फाल्गुने । अकाले वर्षतीवाशु तस्मान्मुख्यो न चास्त्ययम्
Sometimes it rains in Margashirsha, or in Pausha, Magha, or Phalguna; sometimes it rains out of season, so this is not the chief cause.
कालो निमित्तमात्रं तु दैवं हि बलवत्तरम् । दैवेन निर्मितं सर्वं नान्यथा भवतीत्यदः
Time is merely a pretext; fate is indeed more powerful. All is fashioned by fate; nothing happens otherwise.
दैवमेव परं मन्ये धिक्पोरुषमनर्थकम् । जेता यः सर्वदेवानां निशुम्भोऽप्यनया हतः
I regard fate alone as supreme; shame on human effort, which is fruitless. Even Niśumbha, who conquered all the gods, was slain by her.