Shloka 6
Adhyaya 90 — The Slaying of Shumbha and the Reabsorption of the Goddesses into Ambika
ऋषिह्रुवाच । ततः प्रववृते युद्धं देव्याः शुम्भस्य चोभयोः । पश्यतां सर्वदेवानां असुराणां च दारुणम् ॥
ṛṣiruvāca | tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ devyāḥ śumbhasya cobhayoḥ | paśyatāṃ sarvadevānāmasurāṇāṃ ca dāruṇam ||
ఋషి పలికెను—అప్పుడు దేవి మరియు శుంభుడి మధ్య అత్యంత భయంకరమైన యుద్ధం ప్రారంభమైంది; దానిని సమస్త దేవతలు, దానవులు చూశారు.
FAQs
Shumbha represents the subtle ego or 'I-ness' (Asmita). While previous demons represented grosser passions (anger, greed), the battle with Shumbha is the final spiritual confrontation where the Divine Mother destroys the persistent ego that separates the soul from the Infinite.
This phrase (paśyatāṃ sarvadevānāmasurāṇāṃ) elevates the conflict from a mere physical fight to a cosmic event. It indicates that the outcome determines the fate of the three worlds, restoring the Dharma that had been usurped by the Asuras.
The Devi Mahatmyam is embedded within the Manvantara section of the Markandeya Purana. This narrative explains the origin and merit of the Savarni Manu (the 8th Manu), establishing the Goddess as the supreme power behind the cycles of time.