After the defeat of the demon Nishumbha and the rout of Shumbha, the assembled gods composed a hymn in praise of the Goddess. It was at this moment, in the midst of the great battle, that from the very being of Parvati, the radiant form of Ambika emerged. Because she arose from Parvati’s own sheath, the worlds know her as Kaushiki. When Ambika separated herself from Parvati, Parvati’s form became dark and she was then known as Kali, dwelling on the heights of the Himalayas. Meanwhile, the demon generals Chanda and Munda, attendants of Shumbha and Nishumbha, caught sight of Ambika. They beheld her radiant beauty, surpassing all imagination, and were filled with wonder. At once, they hurried to Shumbha and reported, “O great king, an extraordinary woman, dazzling and beautiful beyond compare, has appeared on the Himalaya. Nowhere in the three worlds has such a form ever been seen. O lord of the asuras, you must discover who this goddess is and have her seized. “She stands there, O lord of the Daityas, a jewel among women, shining brilliantly in all directions. You must behold her for yourself. “Already, all the jewels, gems, elephants, horses, and treasures of the three worlds are gathered in your house. The elephant Airavata, the jewel among elephants, has been taken from Purandara; the celestial Parijata tree and the noble horse Uccaiḥśravas are now yours. “In your courtyard stands the aerial chariot yoked with swans, the wondrous creation of Brahma, now brought here as another jewel. The great treasure Mahapadma has been taken from the lord of wealth, and the ocean itself has given you a garland of unfading lotus flowers with golden filaments. “Varuna’s golden umbrella, streaming with light, is in your possession, and the foremost chariot of Prajapati is also in your house. O Lord, even the power called Utkrantida, which brings about death, and the noose of Varuna, your brother, are now yours. “All the jewels born of the ocean, belonging to Nishumbha, have been given to you. Even Agni has offered you garments purified by fire. Thus, O lord of the Daityas, you have gathered all the treasures of the worlds. Why, then, do you not also take this jewel among women, this auspicious lady?” Hearing these words, Shumbha, the great asura, sent his messenger Sugriva, instructed by Chanda and Munda, to approach the Goddess. “Go to her,” he commanded, “say these words on my behalf, and act swiftly according to her response.” Sugriva journeyed to that splendid mountain region where the Goddess resided and addressed her with gentle, sweet words: “O Goddess, Shumbha, lord of the demons, supreme ruler of the three worlds, has sent me as his messenger to you. “He whose commands none of the gods dare disobey, who has conquered all the enemies of the asuras—listen to what he says. The three worlds are his; the gods are subject to his will; he alone partakes of all the shares of sacrifice. The finest jewels of the worlds are under his control. The elephant-jewel, mount of the king of the gods, is now his. “The horse-jewel, Uccaiḥśravas, born of the churning of the milk ocean, was offered to him by the immortals. Whatever other precious beings exist among gods, gandharvas, and serpents, all belong to him alone. “O Devi, you are regarded as the jewel among women in this world. Come to us, for we are the lords of all jewels. O beautiful one, since you are indeed a jewel, choose either Shumbha or his mighty younger brother Nishumbha as your husband. “By accepting Shumbha, you will gain incomparable and supreme sovereignty. Consider this carefully and accept his proposal.” Hearing these words, the blessed Goddess Durga, the sustainer of the worlds, smiled deeply and replied, “What you have said is true. There is no falsehood in your words. Shumbha is indeed lord of the three worlds, and so is Nishumbha. “But how can a vow once made here be made false? Listen, since you do not understand, to the promise made before: Whoever defeats me in battle, dispels my pride, and stands as my equal in the world—he shall become my husband. “Let Shumbha or Nishumbha come here and, having conquered me, why delay? Let him quickly take my hand.” The messenger replied, “You are arrogant, O Devi! Tell me—who in the three worlds could stand against Shumbha and Nishumbha? Even all the gods and other demons do not face them in battle. How, as a woman alone, will you? “All the gods, including Indra, have retreated before Shumbha and his brother. How will you, a woman, stand against them alone? Better you come to Shumbha and Nishumbha willingly, before you are dragged by force.” The Goddess answered, “It is true—Shumbha is powerful and Nishumbha exceedingly mighty. What can I do? I made a promise before, not considering this. “So go, as I have told you, and respectfully convey all this to the lord of the asuras. Let him act as he sees fit.” Hearing the Goddess’s words, the messenger, filled with indignation, returned and reported everything in detail to the king of the demons. When Shumbha heard the messenger’s account, anger flared within him, and he turned to Dhumralocana, chief among the demons, to give new commands.