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.
रक्तबीजो महाशूरः सोऽपि नाशं गतो यदा । तदाहं कीर्तिमुत्सृज्य जीविताशां करोमि किम्
Raktabīja, a great hero, also met his destruction. When that happened, what use is there for me to desire life, abandoning my fame?
प्राप्ते काले स्वयं ब्रह्मा परार्धद्वयसंमिते । निधनं याति तरसा जगत्कर्ता स्वयं प्रभुः
When the time arrives, even Brahmā himself, the creator of the world, endowed with two parārdhas, swiftly meets his end.
चतुर्युगसहस्रं तु ब्रह्मणो दिवसे किल । पतंति भवनात्पंच नव चेंद्रास्तथा पुनः
Indeed, in a single day of Brahmā, which is a thousand fourfold ages, five and then nine Indras fall from their abodes.
तथैव त्रिगुणे विष्णुर्मरणायोपकल्पते । तथैव द्विगुणे काले शंकरः शांतिमेति च
In the same way, Viṣṇu, at the end of three cycles, is destined for death; likewise, at the end of two cycles, Śaṃkara attains dissolution.
का चिंता मरणे मूढा निश्वले दैवनिर्मिते । मही महीधराणां च नाशः सूर्यशशांकयोः
Why worry about death, O deluded one, when it is ordained by fate? The earth, the mountains, the sun, and the moon—all face destruction.
जातस्य हि ध्रुवं मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च । अध्रुवेऽस्मिञ्छरीरे तु रक्षणीयं यशः स्थिरम्
For one who is born, death is certain; for one who has died, birth is certain. In this impermanent body, one should preserve lasting fame.
रथो मे कल्प्यतां शीघ्रं गमिष्यामि रणाजिरे । जयो वा मरणं वापि भवत्वद्यैव दैवतः
Let my chariot be prepared quickly; I will go to the battlefield. Today, by fate, either victory or death will be mine.
इत्युक्त्वा सैनिकाञ्छुंभो रथमास्थाय सत्वरः । प्रययावंबिका यत्र संस्थिता तु हिमाचले
Having spoken thus, Śumbha swiftly mounted his chariot and went to where Ambikā stood on Mount Himālaya.
सैन्यं प्रचलितं तस्य संगे तत्र चतुर्विधम् । हस्त्यश्वरथपादातिसंयुतं सायुधं बहु
His army, fourfold and armed—composed of elephants, horses, chariots, and foot soldiers—moved out with him.
तत्र गत्वाऽचले शुम्भः संस्थितां जगदम्बिकाम् । त्रैलोक्यमोहिनी कांतामपश्यत्सिंहवाहिनीम्
There, upon reaching the mountain, Śumbha saw the World-Mother, enchanting the three worlds, beautiful, and riding a lion.
सर्वाभरणभूषाढ्यां सर्वलक्षणसंयुताम् । स्तूयमानां सुरैः खस्थैर्गन्धर्वयक्षकिन्नरैः
Adorned with all ornaments, endowed with every auspicious mark, she was being praised by gods in the sky, as well as by gandharvas, yakṣas, and kinnaras.
पुष्पैश्च पूज्यमानां च मंदारपादपोद्भवैः । कुर्वाणां शंखनिनदं घंटानादं मनोहरम्
She was being worshipped with flowers from the mandāra tree, making the sound of conches and bells, enchanting to hear.
दृष्ट्वा तां मोहमगमच्छुंभः कामविमोहितः । पंचबाणाहतः कामं मनसा समचिंतयत्
Seeing her, Śumbha was overcome with delusion, bewildered by desire, as if struck by the five arrows of Kāma, and he contemplated her in his mind.
अहो रूपमिदं सम्यगहो चातुर्यमद्भुतम् । सुकुमाराऽतितन्वंगी सद्यः प्रकटयौवना । चित्रमेतदसौ बाला कामभावविवर्जिता
Ah, this form is truly perfect; ah, this cleverness is wondrous. Delicate and slender of body, with youth manifest at once—yet, though she is a maiden, she is free from desire.
कामकांतासमा रूपे सर्वलक्षणलक्षिता । अम्बिकेयं किमेतत्तु हंति सर्वान्महाबलान्
In beauty she is equal to the most beloved, marked by every auspicious sign. Is this Ambikā, who slays all the mighty ones?
उपायः कोऽत्र कर्तव्यो येन मे वशगा भवेत् । न मंत्रा वा मरालाक्षीसाधने सन्निधौ मम
What means should I employ here, by which she might come under my control? No spells or charms are effective in her presence for me.
सर्वमंत्रमयी ह्येषा मोहिनी मदगर्विता। सुन्दरीयं कथं मे स्याद्वशगा वरवर्णिनी
She is indeed composed of all mantras, an enchantress, proud of her own beauty; how can this supremely radiant woman ever come under my control?
पातालगमनं मेऽत्र न युक्तं समरांगणात् । सामदानविभेदैश्च नेयं साध्या महाबला
It is not proper for me to descend to the netherworld from the battlefield; nor can she, mighty as she is, be subdued by conciliation, gifts, or sowing dissension.
किं कर्तव्यं क्व गंतव्यं विषमे समुपस्थिते । मरणं नोत्तमं चात्र स्त्रीकृतं तु यशोऽपहृत्
What should be done, where should I go, now that such adversity has come? Death is not best here, for my fame has already been taken away by a woman.
मरणं ऋषिभिः प्रोक्तं संगरे मंगलास्पदम् । यत्तत्समानबलयोर्योधयोर्युध्यतोः किल
The sages have declared that death in battle is auspicious, but only when it occurs between two warriors of equal strength, both fighting valiantly.