विच्छिन्नबाहुशिरसः सृतास्तेन तथापरे । पपौ च रुधिरं कोष्ठादन्येषां धुतकेसरः
Some, whose arms and heads were cut off by him, fell down; and the lion, shaking his mane, drank the blood from the bellies of others.
क्षणेन तद्बलं सर्वं क्षयं नीतं महात्मना । तेन केसरिणा देव्या वाहनेनातिकोपिना
In a moment, that lion—Devi’s furious mount—destroyed all that army completely.
श्रुत्वा तमसुरं देव्या निहतं धूम्रलोचनम् । बलं च क्षयितं कृत्स्त्रं देवीकेसरिणा ततः
Hearing that the demon Dhumralocana had been slain by the Devi, and that his entire force had been annihilated by the lion,
चुकोप दैत्याधिपतिः शुम्भः प्रस्फुरिताधरः । आज्ञापयामास च तौ चण्डमुण्डौ महासुरौ
The lord of the demons, Shumbha, lips quivering with rage, became furious and ordered the two great demons, Chanda and Munda.
हे चण्ड हे मुण्ड बलैर्बहुभिः परिवारितौ । तत्र गच्छत गत्वा च सा समानीयतां लघु
O Caṇḍa, O Muṇḍa, surrounded by your many forces, go there; having gone, quickly bring her here.
केशेष्वाकृष्य बद्ध्वा वा यदि वः संशयो युधि । तदाशेषायुधैः सर्वैरसुरैर्विनिहन्यताम्
Seize her by the hair and bind her, or if you have any doubt in battle, let all the asuras kill her with every weapon.
तस्यां हतायां दुष्टायां सिंहे च विनिपातिते । शीघ्रमागम्यतां बद्ध्वा गृहीत्वा तामथाम्बिकाम्
When that wicked one is slain, and the lion is also destroyed, quickly come back, having bound and captured that Ambikā.
आज्ञप्तास्ते ततो दैत्याश्चण्डमुण्डपुरोगमाः । चतुरङ्गबलोपेता ययुरभ्युद्यतायुधाः
Then, commanded thus, the daityas, led by Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, equipped with fourfold armies and weapons raised, advanced.
ददृशुस्ते ततो देवीमीषद्धासां व्यवस्थिताम् । सिंहस्योपरि शैलेन्द्रशृङ्गे महति काञ्चने
There they saw the Goddess, standing with a slight smile, upon a great golden peak of the king of mountains, above the lion.
ते दृष्ट्वा तां समादातुमुद्यमं चक्रुरुद्यताः । आकृष्टचापासिधरास्तथान्ये सत्समीपगाः
Seeing her, they prepared to seize her, drawing their bows and brandishing swords, while others stood close by.
ततः कोपं चकारोच्चैरम्बिका तानरीन् प्रति । कोपेन चास्या वदनं मषीवर्णमभूत्तदा
Then Ambika grew intensely angry at those enemies, and from her wrath, her face became black as ink.
भ्रुकुटीकुटिलात्तस्या ललाटफलकाद् द्रुतम् । काली करालवदना विनिष्क्रान्तासिपाशिनी
From the furrow of her knitted brows on her forehead, Kali emerged swiftly, with a terrifying face, bearing a sword and a noose.
विचित्रखट्वाङ्गधरा नरमालाविभूषणा । द्वीपिचर्मपरीधाना शुष्कमांसातिभैरवा
She held a strange skull-topped staff, was adorned with a garland of human heads, clothed in a tiger skin, and was exceedingly dreadful with her emaciated flesh.
अतिविस्तारवदना जिह्वाललनभीषणा । निमग्नारक्तनयना नादापूरितदिङ्मुखा
Her mouth was extremely wide, her lolling tongue was fearsome, her eyes were sunken and blood-red, and her roar filled all directions.
सा वेगेनाभिपतिता घतयन्ती महासुरान् । सैन्ये तत्र सुरारीणामभक्षयत तद्वलम्
She rushed forward with speed, striking down the great demons, and in that army of the enemies of the gods, she devoured their forces.
पार्ष्णिग्राहाङ्कुशग्राहियोधघण्टासमन्वितान् । समादायैकहस्तेन मुखे चिक्षेप वारणान्
Seizing elephants with her single hand—elephants equipped with riders, hooks, and bells—she hurled them into her mouth.
तथैव योधं तुरगै रथं सारथिना सह । निक्षिप्य वक्त्रे दशनैश्चर्वयन्त्यतिभैरवम्
In the same way, she seized a warrior along with his horses, chariot, and charioteer, and cast them into her mouth, chewing them with her terrifying teeth.
एकं जग्राह केशेषु ग्रीवायामथ चापरम् । पादेनाक्रम्य चैवान्यमुरसान्यमपोथयत्
She grabbed one by the hair, another by the neck, pressed another down with her foot, and struck yet another with her chest.
तैर्मुक्तानि च शस्त्रणि महास्त्राणि तथासुरैः । मुखेन जग्राह रुषा दशनैर्मथितान्यपि
The weapons and great missiles hurled by the asuras, she seized with her mouth in anger, even those crushed by her teeth.
बलिनां तद्बलं सर्वमसुराणां दुरात्मनाम् । ममर्दाभक्षयच्चान्यानन्यांश्चाताडयत्तथा
She crushed the entire strength of those powerful, evil-minded asuras, devoured some, and struck down others.
असिना निहताः केचित्केचित्खट्वाङ्गताडिताः । जग्मुर्विनाशमसुरा दन्ताग्राभिहता रणे
Some asuras were slain by her sword, some struck by her club, and others perished in battle, struck by the edges of her teeth.
क्षणेन तन्महासैन्यमसुराणां निपातितम् । दृष्ट्वा चण्डो ऽभिमैर्भोमाक्षीं तां महासुरः
In a moment, that great army of asuras was destroyed; seeing this, the great asura Chanda, filled with rage, advanced toward her.
शरवर्षैर्महाभीमैर्भोमाक्षीं तां महासुरः । छादयामास चक्रैश्च मुण्डः क्षिप्तैः सहस्रशः
That great demon, Muṇḍa, covered the earth-eyed goddess with a terrifying shower of arrows and with thousands of discus weapons hurled at her.
तानि चक्राण्यनेकानि विशमानानि तन्मुखम् । बभुर्यथार्कबिम्बानि सुबहूनि घनोदरम्
Those many spinning discs, aimed at her face, appeared like numerous suns set against the dark belly of a cloud.
ततो जहासातिरुषा भीमं भैरवनादिनी । काली करालवक्त्रान्तर्दुर्दर्शदशनोज्ज्वला
Then Kālī, with a dreadful, fearsome roar, her mouth wide and terrible, her teeth blazing and hard to behold, laughed fiercely in great wrath.
उत्थाय च महासिंहं देवी चण्डमधावत । गृहीत्वा चास्य केशेषु शिरस्तेनासिनाच्छिनत्
Rising up, the goddess mounted her great lion and rushed at Caṇḍa; seizing him by the hair, she struck off his head with her sword.
छिन्ने शिरसि दैत्येन्द्रश्चक्रे नादं सुभैरवम् । तेन नादेन महता त्रासितं भुवनत्रयम्
When his head was severed, the lord of the demons let out a most fearsome cry; by that great sound, the three worlds were shaken with terror.
अथ मुण्डो ऽभ्यधावत्तां दृष्ट्वा चण्डं निपातितम् । तमप्यपातयद् भूमौ सा खड्गाभिहतं रुषा
Then Muṇḍa charged at her, seeing Caṇḍa struck down; but she too felled him to the ground, striking him with her sword in wrath.
हतशेषं ततः सैन्यं दृष्ट्वा चण्डं निपातितम् । मुण्डं च सुमहावीर्यं दिशो भेजे भयातुरम्
Seeing that the remaining army had been destroyed, and that Caṇḍa, of immense might, had fallen, Muṇḍa, overwhelmed by fear, fled in all directions.
शिरञ्चण्डस्य काली च गृहीत्वा मुण्डमेव च । प्राह प्रचण्डाट्टहासमिश्रमभ्येत्य चण्डिकाम्
Kālī, having seized the head of Caṇḍa and also that of Muṇḍa, approached Caṇḍikā and, with a fierce, resounding laugh, spoke to her.