ते ऽपि श्रुत्वा वचो देव्याः शर्वाख्यातं महासुराः । अमर्षापूरिता जग्मुर्यत्र कात्यायनी स्थिता
Hearing the words of the Goddess, as declared by Śarva, those great asuras, filled with rage, went to where Kātyāyanī stood.
ततः प्रथममेवाग्रे शरशक्त्यृष्टिवृष्टिभिः । ववर्षुरुद्धतामर्षास्तां देवीममरारयः
Then, first and foremost, those enemies of the immortals, driven by violent anger, showered the Goddess with arrows, spears, and javelins.
सा च तान् प्रहितान् बाणाञ्छूलशक्तिपरश्वधान् । चिच्छेद लीलयाऽध्मातधनुर्मुक्तैर्महेषुभिः
And she, with ease, cut down the arrows, spears, and axes sent at her, with great arrows released from her drawn bow.
तस्याग्रतस्तथा काली शूलपातविदारितान् । खट्वाङ्गपोथितांश्चारीन् कुर्वती व्यचरत्तदा
In front of her, Kālī moved about, striking down the enemies—some torn apart by her spear, others beaten with her skull-topped staff.
कमण्डलुजलाक्षेपहतवीर्यान् हतौजसः । ब्रह्माणी चाकरोच्छत्रून् येन येन स्म धावति
Brahmāṇī, by sprinkling water from her water-pot, sapped the strength and vigor of the enemies, wherever she pursued them.
माहेश्वरी त्रिशूलेन तथा चक्रेण वैष्णवी । दैत्याञ्जघान कौमारी तथा शक्त्यातिकोपना
Māheśvarī struck the demons with her trident, Vaiṣṇavī with her discus, and Kaumārī, filled with intense fury, struck them with her spear.
ऐन्द्रीकुलिशपातेन शतशो दैत्यदानवाः । पेतुर्विदारिताः पृथ्व्यां रुधिरौघप्रवर्षिणः
By the blows of Aindrī’s thunderbolt, hundreds of demons and Dānavas, torn apart and pouring streams of blood, fell to the earth.
तुण्डप्रहारविध्वस्ता दंष्ट्राग्रक्षतवक्षसः । वाराहमूर्त्या न्यपतंश्चक्रेण च विदारिताः
Some, shattered by the blows of the boar-form’s snout and wounded on the chest by her sharp fangs, fell down, while others were torn apart by her discus.
नखैर्विदारितांश्चान्यान् भक्षयन्ती महासुरान् । नारसिंही चचाराजौ नादापूर्णदिगन्तरा
Nārasiṃhī, roaring so that all directions resounded, tore apart other great demons with her claws and devoured them on the battlefield.
चण्डाट्टहासैरसुराः शिवदूत्यभिदूषिताः । पेतुः पृथिव्यां पतितांस्तांश्चखादाथ सा तदा
The demons, terrified by Caṇḍikā’s loud laughter and the threats of Śivadūtī, fell to the ground, and then she devoured those who had fallen.
इति मातृगणं क्रुद्धं मर्दयन्तं महासुरान् । दृष्ट्वाभ्युपायैर्विविधैर्नेशुर्देवारिसैनिकाः
Seeing the host of Mothers, enraged, crushing the great demons, the soldiers of the enemies of the gods perished through various means.
पलायनपरान् दृष्ट्वा दैत्यान् मातृगणार्दितान् । योद्धुमभ्याययौ क्रुद्धो रक्तबीजो महासुरः
When he saw the demons fleeing, afflicted by the host of Mothers, the great demon Raktabīja, enraged, advanced to fight.
रक्तबिन्दुर्यदा भूमौ पतत्यस्य शरीरतः । समुत्पतति मेदिन्यां तत्प्रमाणो महासुरः
Whenever a drop of blood fell from his body onto the earth, from that spot on the ground arose a great demon equal in size.
युयुधे स गदापाणिपरिन्द्रशक्त्या महासुरः । ततश्चैन्द्री स्ववज्रेण रक्तबीजमताडयत्
That great demon, wielding a mace, fought with Indrāṇī’s spear; then Indrāṇī struck Raktabīja with her own thunderbolt.
कुलिशेनाहतस्याशु बहु सुस्त्राव शोणितम् । समुत्तस्थुस्ततो योधास्तद्रूपास्तत्पराक्रमाः
Struck swiftly by the thunderbolt, much blood flowed from him; from that, warriors arose, bearing his form and his valor.
यावन्तः पतितास्तस्य शरीराद्रक्तबिन्दवः । तावन्तः पुरुषा जातास्तद्वीर्यबलविक्रमाः
As many drops of blood as fell from his body, so many men were born, possessing his strength, power, and courage.
ते चापि युयुधुस्तत्र पुरुषा रक्तसम्भवाः । समं मातृबिरत्युग्रशस्त्रपातातिभीषणम्
And there, men born from his blood also fought, together with the Mothers, in a most terrible battle, dreadful from the fall of exceedingly fierce weapons.
पुनश्च वज्रपातेन क्षतमस्य शिरो यदा । ववाह रक्तं पुरुषास्ततो जाताः सहस्रशः
And again, whenever his head was wounded by the blow of the thunderbolt, blood flowed, and from that, men arose by the thousands.
वैष्णवी समरे चैनं चक्रेणाभिजघान ह । गदया दाडयामास ऐन्द्री तमसुरेश्वरम्
In battle, Vaiṣṇavī struck him with her discus, and Aindrī battered the lord of the demons with her mace.
वेष्णावीचक्रभिन्नस्य रुधिरस्त्रावसम्भवैः । सहस्रशौ जगद्व्याप्तं तत्प्रमाणैर्महासुरैः
From the streams of blood flowing from the one pierced by Vaiṣṇavī's discus, countless great demons arose, filling the world in number equal to him.
शक्त्या जघान कौमारो वाराही च तथासिना । माहेश्वरी त्रिशूलेन रक्तबीजं महासुरम्
Kumāri struck him with her spear, Vārāhī likewise with her sword, and Māheśvarī with her trident—Raktabīja, the great demon.
स चापि गदया दैत्यः सर्वा एवाहनत् पृथक् । मातः कोपसमाविष्टो रक्तबीजो महासुरः
And that great demon Raktabīja, possessed by wrath, struck all the Mothers separately with his mace.
तस्याहतस्य बहुधा शक्तिशूलादिभिर्बुवि । पपात यो वै रक्तौघस्तेनासञ्छतशो ऽसुराः
When he was struck repeatedly by weapons such as spears and energies, the blood that poured from him fell upon the earth, and from that stream of blood, countless demons arose.
तैश्चासुरासृक्सम्भूतैरसुरैः सकलं जगत् । व्याप्तमासीत्ततो देवा भयमाजग्मुरुत्तमम्
Those demons, born from the blood of the asura, filled the entire world, and then the gods were seized with utmost fear.
तान् विषण्णान् सुरान् दृष्ट्वा चण्डिका प्राह सत्वरा । उवाच कालीं चामुण्डे विस्तीर्णं वदनं कुरु
Seeing the gods disheartened, Chandika quickly spoke and addressed Kali: 'O Chamunda, make your mouth wide.'
मच्छस्त्रपातसम्भूतान् रक्तबिन्दून् महासुरान् । रक्तबिन्दोः प्रतीच्छ त्वं वक्त्रेणानेन वेगिना
Receive, with this swift mouth, the great demons who are born from the drops of blood that fall from my weapons, and those from Raktabija's blood.
भक्षयन्ती चर रणे तदुत्पन्नान् महासुरान् । एवमेष क्षयं दैत्यः क्षीणरक्तो गमिष्यति । भक्ष्यमाणास्त्वया चोग्रा न चोत्पत्स्यन्ति चापरे
Devour in battle those great demons that arise from him; in this way, this demon will perish when his blood is exhausted. And those fierce ones whom you consume will not arise again.
इत्युक्त्वा तां ततो देवी शूलेनाभिजघान तम् । मुखेन काली जगृहे रक्तबीजस्य सोणितम्
Having spoken thus, the goddess then struck him with her spear, and Kali caught the blood of Raktabija in her mouth.
ततो ऽसावाजघानाथ गदया तत्र चण्डिकाम् । न चास्या वेदनां चक्रे गदापातो ऽल्पिकामपि
Then he struck the goddess Chandika there with his mace, but even the slightest pain did not arise in her from the blow of the mace.
तस्याहतस्य देहात्तु बहु सुस्त्राव शोणितम् । यतस्ततः स्ववक्त्रेण वामुण्डा सम्प्रतीच्छति
From his body, thus struck, much blood flowed forth, and wherever it fell, the goddess Camunda received it with her mouth.