Adhyaya 86: Dhumralocana’s Mission and His Ashing by the Goddess; Shumbha Sends Chanda and Munda

Verse 1

इति श्रीमार्कण्डेयपुराणेऽथ सावर्णिके मन्वन्तरे देविमाहात्म्ये पञ्चाशोत्तमोध्यायः । षडशीतितमोऽध्यायः- ८६ । ऋषिरुवाच इत्याकर्ण्य वचो देव्याः स दूतोऽमर्षपूरितः । समाचष्ट समागम्य दैत्यराजाय विस्तरात् ॥

(Colophon/transition.) The Ṛṣi said: “Having heard the Goddess’s words, that messenger, filled with indignation, went and reported them in detail to the king of the daityas.”

Verse 2

तस्य दूतस्य तद्वाक्यमाकर्ण्यासुरराट् ततः । सक्रोधः प्राह दैत्यानामधिपं धूम्रलोचनम् ॥

Hearing the messenger’s words, the asura-king then, enraged, spoke to Dhūmralocana, a chief among the daityas.

Verse 3

हे धूम्रलोचनाशु त्वं स्वसैन्यपरिवारितः । तामानय बलाद् दुष्टां केशाकर्षणविह्वलाम् ॥

“O Dhūmralocana, quickly—surrounded by your own army—bring that wicked woman by force, distressed from being dragged by the hair.”

Verse 4

तत्परित्राणदः कश्चिद्यदि वोत्तिष्ठतेऽपरः । स हन्तव्योऽमरो वापि यक्षो गन्धर्व एव वा ॥

If anyone else rises up to protect her, he should be slain—whether he be a god, a Yakṣa, or a Gandharva.

Verse 5

ऋषिरुवाच तेनाज्ञप्तस्ततः शीघ्रं स दैत्यो धूम्रलोचनः । वृतः पष्ट्या सहस्राणामसुराणां द्रुतं ययौ ॥

The Ṛṣi said: Commanded by him, the Dānava Dhūmralocana quickly set out, swiftly going forth surrounded by thousands of companies of Asuras.

Verse 7

स दृष्ट्वा तां ततो देवीं तुहिनाचलसंस्थिताम् । जगादोच्चैः प्रयाहिति मूलं शुम्भनिशुम्भयोः ॥ न चेत्प्रीत्याद्य भवती मद्भर्तारमुपैष्यति । ततो बलान्नयाम्येष केशाकर्षणविह्वलाम् ॥

Seeing the Goddess stationed on the Himālaya, he shouted aloud: “Go to the presence of Śumbha and Niśumbha. If you do not willingly go today to my lord, then I shall take you by force, dragging you, distressed by the pulling of your hair.”

Verse 8

श्रीदेव्युवाच दैत्येश्वरेण प्रहितो बलवान् बलसंवृतः । बलान्नयासि मामेवं ततः किं ते करोम्यहम् ॥

The Blessed Goddess said: “Sent by the lord of Daityas, you are strong and surrounded by strength. If you will take me thus by force—then what shall I do to you?”

Verse 9

ऋषिरुवाच इत्युक्तः सोऽभ्यधावत्तामसुरो धूम्रलोचनः । हुंकारेणैव तं भस्म सा चकाराम्बिका ततः ॥

The Ṛṣi said: Thus addressed, that Asura Dhūmralocana rushed at her; then Ambikā, with a mere huṃkāra, reduced him to ashes.

Verse 10

अथ क्रुद्धं महासैन्यमसुराणां तथाम्बिका । ववर्ष सायकैस्तीक्ष्णैस्तथा शक्तिपरश्वधैः ॥

Then Ambikā rained down upon the enraged great army of Asuras with sharp arrows, and also with spears and battle-axes.

Verse 11

ततो धुतसटः कोपात्कृत्वा नादं सुभैरवम् । पपातासुरसेनायां सिंहः देव्याः स्ववाहनः ॥

Then, shaking his mane in fury and making a very dreadful roar, the lion—Devī’s own mount—leapt upon the army of the Asuras.

Verse 12

कांश्चित् करप्रहारेण दैत्यानास्येन चापरान् । आक्रम्य चाधरेणान्यान् स जग्हान महासुरान् ॥

Some Daityas he struck down with blows of his paws; others with his mouth; and still others he killed by trampling and by biting with his lower jaw.

Verse 13

केषाञ्चित् पाटयामास नखैः कोष्ठानि केशरी । तथा तलप्रिहारेण शिरांसि कृतवान् पृथक् ॥

The lion tore open the chests of some with his claws; and with blows of his paws he separated the heads of others.

Verse 14

विच्छिन्नबाहुशिरसः सृतास्तेन तथापरे । पपौ च रुधिरं कोष्ठादन्येषां धुतकेसरः ॥

Others, with arms and heads severed, fled away from him; and the mane-shaking lion drank the blood from the chests of still others.

Verse 15

क्षणेन तद्बलं सर्वं क्षयं नीतं महात्मना । तेन केसरिणा देव्याः वाहनेंनातिकोपिना ॥

In a mere instant, all that army was brought to destruction by that great-souled lion—the Goddess’s mount—who was exceedingly wrathful.

Verse 16

श्रुत्वा तमसुरं देव्याः निहतं धूम्रलोचनम् । बलं च क्षयितं कृत्स्नं देवीकेसरिणा ततः ॥

Hearing that the asura Dhūmralocana had been slain by the Goddess, and that the entire army had been destroyed by the Goddess’s lion, then—

Verse 17

चुकोप दैत्याधिपतिः शुम्भः प्रस्फुरिताधरः । आज्ञापयामास च तौ चण्डमुण्डौ महासुरौ ॥

The lord of the daityas, Śumbha, enraged—his lips quivering—then commanded those two great asuras, Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa.

Verse 18

हे चण्ड हे मुण्ड बलैर्बहुभिः परिवारितौ । तत्र गच्छत गत्वा च सा समानीयतां लघु ॥

‘O Caṇḍa! O Muṇḍa! Surrounded by many troops, go there; and having gone, bring her here quickly.’

Verse 19

केशेष्वाकृष्य बद्ध्वा वा यदि वः संशयो युधि । तदाशेषायुधैः सर्वैरसुरैर्विनिहन्यताम् ॥

‘Drag her by the hair and bind her—if you have any doubt in battle; then let her be slain by all the asuras with every weapon.’

Verse 20

तस्यां हतायां दुष्टायां सिंहें च विनिपातिते । शीघ्रमागम्यतां बद्ध्वा गृहीत्वा तामथाम्बिकाम् ॥

‘When that wicked woman is slain and the lion is felled, return quickly—having bound and seized that Ambikā.’