तमायान्तं समालोक्य देवी शङ्घमवादयत् । ज्याशब्दं चापि धनुषश्चकारातीव दुः सहम्
Seeing him advancing, the Goddess sounded her bell, and the twang of her bowstring was unbearably loud.
पूरयामास ककुभो निजघण्टास्वनेन च । समस्तदैत्यसैन्यानां तेजोवधविधायिना
She filled the quarters with the peal of her bell, which diminished the valor of all the demon armies.
ततः सिंहो महानादैस्त्याजितेभमहामदैः । पूरयामास गगनं गां तथैव दिशो दश
Then the lion, with mighty roars, filled the sky, the earth, and all ten directions, as if maddened by the great rutting elephant.
ततः काली समुत्पत्य गगनं क्ष्मामताडयत् । कराभ्यां तन्निनादेन प्राक्स्वनास्ते तिरोहिताः
Then Kālī leapt up and struck the sky and the earth with her hands; by that sound, all previous noises were overpowered.
अट्टाट्टहासमशिवं शिवदूती चकार ह । तैः शब्दैरसुरास्त्रेसुः शुम्भः कोपं परं ययौ
Śivadūtī let out a dreadful, wild, and terrible laugh; at those sounds, the demons trembled, and Śumbha was seized by intense rage.
दुरात्मंस्तिष्ठ तिष्ठेति व्याजहाराम्बिका यदा । तदा जयेत्यभिहितं देवैराकाशसंस्थितैः
When Ambikā called out, 'Stay, you wicked ones, stay!', then the gods stationed in the sky shouted, 'Victory!'
शुम्भेनागत्य या शक्तिर्मुक्ता ज्वालातिभीषणा । आयान्ती वह्निकूटाभा सा निरस्ता महोल्कया
The power unleashed by Śumbha, terrifying with blazing flames, as it approached like a mass of fire, was destroyed by a great meteor.
सिंहनादेन शुम्भस्य व्याप्तं लोकत्रयान्तरम् । निर्घातनिः स्वनो घोरो जितवानवनीपते
By the lion’s roar of Śumbha, the three worlds and all their realms were filled; the dreadful sound, like thunder, conquered, O king of the earth.
शुम्भमुक्ताञ्छरान्देवी शुम्भस्तत्प्रहिताञ्छरान् । चिच्छेद स्वशरैरुग्रैः शतशो ऽथ सहस्रशः
The Devi cut down the arrows released by Shumbha, and Shumbha, in turn, with his fierce arrows, struck down hundreds and thousands of her missiles.
ततः सा चण्डिका क्रुद्धा शूलेनाभिजघान तम् । स तदाभिहतो भूमौ मूर्च्छितो निपपात ह
Then Chandika, enraged, struck him with her spear; struck by it, he fell unconscious to the ground.
ततो निशुम्भः सम्प्राप्य चेतनामात्तकार्मुकः । आजघान शरैर्देवीं कालीं केसरिणं तथा
Regaining consciousness, Nishumbha seized his bow and attacked the Devi, Kali, and the lion with arrows.
पुनश्च कृत्वा बाहूनामयुतं दनुजेश्वरः । चक्रायुधेन दितिजश्छादयामास चण्डिकाम्
Again, the lord of the demons multiplied his arms ten thousandfold and, armed with a discus, covered Chandika with a shower of weapons.
ततो भगवती क्रुद्धा दुर्गा दुर्गार्तिनाशिनी । चिच्छेद तानि चक्राणि स्वशरैः सायकांश्च तान्
Then the blessed Durga, destroyer of difficulties, enraged, cut down those discuses and the arrows with her own sharp shafts.
ततो निशुम्भो वेगेन गदामादाय चण्डिकाम् । अभ्यधावत वै हन्तुं दैत्यसेनासमावृतः
Then Nishumbha, with great speed, seized his mace and, surrounded by the demon army, rushed to slay Chandika.
तस्यापतत एवाशु गदां चिच्छेद चण्डिका । खड्गेन शितधारेण स च शूलं समाददे
As he rushed forward, Caṇḍikā swiftly struck down his mace with her sharp-edged sword, and he seized his spear.
शूलहस्तं समायान्तं निशुम्भममरार्दनम् । हृदि विव्याध शूलेन वेगाविद्धेन चण्डिका
Niśumbha, destroyer of the immortals, came forward holding his spear, and Caṇḍikā pierced his heart with her own spear, driven with force.
भिन्नस्य तस्य शूलेन हृदयान्निः सृतो ऽपरः । महाबलो महावीर्यस्तिष्ठेति पुरुषो वदन्
From his heart, split by the spear, another mighty and powerful being emerged, shouting, 'Stop!'
तस्य निष्क्रामतो देवी प्रहस्य स्वनवत्ततः । शिरश्चिच्छेद खड्गेन ततो ऽसावपतद् भुवि
As he came forth, the Goddess laughed aloud and then, with her sword, severed his head, so that he fell to the ground.
ततः सिंहश्चखादोग्रं दंष्ट्राक्षुण्णशिरोधरान् । असुरांस्तांस्तथा काली शिवदूती तथापरान्
Then the lion tore apart fierce demons with its fangs and claws, and likewise Kālī and Śivadūtī struck down other asuras.
कौमारीशक्तिनिर्भिन्नाः केचिन्नेशुर्महासुराः । ब्रह्माणीमन्त्रपूतेन तोयेनान्ये निराकृताः
Some great demons, pierced by the spear of Kaumārī, could not move; others were driven away by Brahmāṇī with water sanctified by mantra.
माहेश्वरीत्रिशूलेन भिन्नाः पेतुस्तथापरे । वाराहीतुण्डघातेन केचिच्चूर्णोकृता भुवि
Some were struck down by Māheśvarī’s trident and fell, while others were pulverized on the earth by the blow of Vārāhī’s snout.
खण्डं खण्डं च चक्रेण वैष्णव्या दानवाः कृताः । वज्रेण चैन्द्रीहस्ताग्रविमुक्तेन तथापरे
The Dānavas were cut into pieces by Vaiṣṇavī’s discus, and others likewise by the thunderbolt hurled from Indrāṇī’s hand.
केचिद्विनेशुरसुराः केचिन्नष्टा महाहवात् । भक्षिताश्चापरे कालीशिवदूतीमृगाधिपैः
Some of the Asuras fled, some vanished from the great battle, and others were devoured by Kālī, Śivadūtī, and the lion.
ऋषिरुवाच निशुम्भं निहतं दृष्ट्वा भ्रातरं प्राणसंमितम् । हन्यमानं बलं चैव शुम्भः क्रुद्धो ऽब्रवीद्वचः
The seer said: Seeing Niśumbha, his brother equal to his very life, slain, and his army being destroyed, Śumbha, enraged, spoke these words:
बलावलेपाद् दुष्टे त्वं मा दुर्गे गर्वमावह । अन्यासां बलमाश्रित्य युध्यसे यातिमानिनी
Out of arrogance in your strength, you are wicked—do not, O Durgā, boast! Relying on the power of others, you fight, thinking yourself superior.
एकैवाहं जगत्यत्र द्वितीया का ममापरा । पश्यैता दुष्ट मय्येव विशन्त्यो मद्विभूतयः
I alone am here in this world—who else is my equal? See, O wicked one, these are all entering into me; they are my own manifestations.
ततः समस्तास्ता देव्यो ब्रह्माणीप्रमुखा लयम् । तस्या देव्यास्तनौ जग्मुरेकावासीत्तदाम्बिका
Then all those goddesses, led by Brahmani, merged into dissolution; only Ambika remained there.
अहं विभूत्या बहुभिरिह रूपैर्यदास्थिता । सत्संहृतं मयैकैव तिष्ठाम्याजौ स्थिरो भव
Here, when I have manifested with many forms through my power, I alone remain when all is withdrawn; stand firm in battle.
ततः प्रववृते युद्धं देव्याः शुम्भस्य चोभयोः । पश्यतां सर्वदेवानामसुराणां च दारुणम्
Then a fierce battle began between the Devi and Shumbha, witnessed by all the gods and asuras.
शरवर्षैः शितैः शस्त्रैस्तथा चास्त्रैः सुदारुणैः । तयोर्युद्धमभूद् भूयः सर्वलोकभयङ्करम्
Their combat was again terrible, with showers of arrows, sharp weapons, and dreadful missiles, terrifying to all the worlds.