Shloka 24
Adhyaya 87 — The Slaying of Dhumralochana and the Emergence of Kali; the Fall of Chanda and Munda (Chamunda Named)
मया तवात्रोपहृतौ चण्डमुण्डौ महापशू ।
युद्धयज्ञे स्वयं शुम्भं निशुम्भं च हनिष्यसि ॥
mayā tavātropahṛtau caṇḍamuṇḍau mahāpaśū | yuddhayajñe svayaṃ śumbhaṃ niśumbhaṃ ca haniṣyasi ||
“Ta đã đem đến cho Người Caṇḍa và Muṇḍa—những ác thú lớn ấy. Trong tế lễ của chiến trận, chính Người sẽ giết Śumbha và Niśumbha.”
FAQs
The verse frames righteous struggle as ‘yuddha-yajña’: action offered for restoration of order, not for personal gain. It also teaches assurance—when aligned with dharma, the outcome is ultimately secured.
Carita: prophetic/assuring speech within a sacred narrative, supporting the dharma-restoring arc rather than cosmological enumeration.
‘Battle-sacrifice’ indicates inner offering: the practitioner sacrifices tamasic/rajasic drives (symbolized by asuras) into the fire of awareness. Śumbha-Niśumbha represent deeper structures of possessiveness and pride to be overcome by the sovereign Goddess-consciousness.