મહિષાસુરવધ
Durga Saptashati Chapter 3 in Gujarati
Mahiṣāsura Vadha · The Slaying of Mahishasura · 41 verses
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Chapter Summary
In the climax of the Madhyama Charita the Goddess slays the buffalo-demon himself. After cutting down his generals — Chikshura, Chamara, Udagra, Karala, Uddhata, Bashkala, Tamra, Andhaka and the rest — she confronts Mahishasura, who terrorises her hosts in his buffalo form. He shifts shape from buffalo to lion to man to elephant and back; the Devi, drinking the divine wine and laughing with reddened eyes, taunts him — 'Roar while you may, O fool, till I have drunk this wine; the gods will soon roar when I slay you.' Springing upon him, she pins his neck with her foot, pierces him with her trident, and beheads him with her great sword. The demon armies perish and the gods rejoice, while sages, Gandharvas and Apsaras sing and dance in praise.
Dhyāna (meditation)
ૐ ઉદ્યદ્ભાનુસહસ્રકાન્તિમરુણક્ષૌમાં શિરોમાલિકાં રક્તાલિપ્તપયોધરાં જપવટીં વિદ્યામભીતિં વરમ્ । હસ્તાબ્જૈર્દધતીં ત્રિનેત્રવિલસદ્વક્ત્રારવિન્દશ્રિયં દેવીં બદ્ધહિમાંશુરત્નમુકુટાં વન્દેઽરવિન્દસ્થિતામ્ ॥
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ૐ ઋષિરુવાચ નિહન્યમાનં તત્સૈન્યમવલોક્ય મહાસુરઃ । સેનાનીશ્ચિક્ષુરઃ કોપાદ્યયૌ યોદ્ધુમથામ્બિકામ્ ॥
oṃ ṛṣiruvāca nihanyamānaṃ tatsainyamavalokya mahāsuraḥ senānīścikṣuraḥ kopādyayau yoddhumathāmbikām
Meaning(Om. The Rishi said:) Seeing that army being slaughtered, the great asura Chikshura, the general, advanced in fury to fight Ambika.
સ દેવીં શરવર્ષેણ વવર્ષ સમરેઽસુરઃ । યથા મેરુગિરેઃ શૃઙ્ગં તોયવર્ષેણ તોયદઃ ॥
sa devīṃ śaravarṣeṇa vavarṣa samare'suraḥ yathā merugireḥ śaṛṅgaṃ toyavarṣeṇa toyadaḥ
MeaningThat asura rained showers of arrows upon the Devi in battle, as a cloud (pours) showers of water on the peak of Mount Meru.
તસ્ય છિત્વા તતો દેવી લીલયૈવ શરોત્કરાન્ । જઘાન તુરગાન્બાણૈર્યન્તારં ચૈવ વાજિનામ્ ॥
tasya chitvā tato devī līlayaiva śarotkarān jaghāna turagānbāṇairyantāraṃ caiva vājinām
MeaningThen the Devi, cleaving his masses of arrows as if in mere play, slew his horses with her arrows, and their charioteer as well.
ચિચ્છેદ ચ ધનુઃ સદ્યો ધ્વજં ચાતિસમુચ્છૃતમ્ । વિવ્યાધ ચૈવ ગાત્રેષુ છિન્નધન્વાનમાશુગૈઃ ॥
ciccheda ca dhanuḥ sadyo dhvajaṃ cātisamucchṛtam vivyādha caiva gātreṣu chinnadhanvānamāśugaiḥ
MeaningShe at once split his bow and his lofty banner, and pierced in the limbs with her swift arrows him whose bow was cut.
સચ્છિન્નધન્વા વિરથો હતાશ્વો હતસારથિઃ । અભ્યધાવત તાં દેવીં ખડ્ગચર્મધરોઽસુરઃ ॥
sacchinnadhanvā viratho hatāśvo hatasārathiḥ abhyadhāvata tāṃ devīṃ khaḍgacarmadharo'suraḥ
MeaningHis bow shattered, his chariot gone, his horses slain and his charioteer killed, the asura, bearing sword and shield, rushed at the Devi.
સિંહમાહત્ય ખડ્ગેન તીક્ષ્ણધારેણ મૂર્ધનિ । આજઘાન ભુજે સવ્યે દેવીમપ્યતિવેગવાન્ ॥
siṃhamāhatya khaḍgena tīkṣṇadhāreṇa mūrdhani ājaghāna bhuje savye devīmapyativegavān
MeaningStriking the lion on the head with his sharp-edged sword, the swift one struck the Devi too on her left arm.
તસ્યાઃ ખડ્ગો ભુજં પ્રાપ્ય પફાલ નૃપનન્દન । તતો જગ્રાહ શૂલં સ કોપાદરુણલોચનઃ ॥
tasyāḥ khaḍgo bhujaṃ prāpya paphāla nṛpanandana tato jagrāha śūlaṃ sa kopādaruṇalocanaḥ
MeaningHis sword, O delight of the king, on reaching her arm broke to pieces. Thereupon, his eyes red with anger, he seized his pike (shula).
ચિક્ષેપ ચ તતસ્તત્તુ ભદ્રકાલ્યાં મહાસુરઃ । જાજ્વલ્યમાનં તેજોભી રવિબિમ્બમિવામ્બરાત્ ॥
cikṣepa ca tatastattu bhadrakālyāṃ mahāsuraḥ jājvalyamānaṃ tejobhī ravibimbamivāmbarāt
MeaningThen the great asura hurled it at Bhadrakali — that pike blazing with radiance, like the orb of the sun (falling) from the sky.
દૃષ્ટ્વા તદાપતચ્છૂલં દેવી શૂલમમુઞ્ચત । તેન તચ્છતધા નીતં શૂલં સ ચ મહાસુરઃ ॥
dṛṣṭvā tadāpatacchūlaṃ devī śūlamamuñcata tena tacchatadhā nītaṃ śūlaṃ sa ca mahāsuraḥ
MeaningSeeing that pike falling, the Devi let fly her own pike; by it that pike was shattered into a hundred fragments, and that great asura too.
હતે તસ્મિન્મહાવીર્યે મહિષસ્ય ચમૂપતૌ । આજગામ ગજારૂઢશ્ચામરસ્ત્રિદશાર્દનઃ ॥
hate tasminmahāvīrye mahiṣasya camūpatau ājagāma gajārūḍhaścāmarastridaśārdanaḥ
MeaningWhen that most valiant general of Mahisha was slain, Chamara, the tormentor of the gods, came mounted on an elephant.
સોઽપિ શક્તિં મુમોચાથ દેવ્યાસ્તામમ્બિકા દ્રુતમ્ । હુઙ્કારાભિહતાં ભૂમૌ પાતયામાસ નિષ્પ્રભામ્ ॥
so'pi śaktiṃ mumocātha devyāstāmambikā drutam huṅkārābhihatāṃ bhūmau pātayāmāsa niṣprabhām
MeaningHe too hurled his spear (shakti) at the Devi; but Ambika quickly, with a mere 'hum' (hunkara), struck it down to the ground, robbed of its splendour.
ભગ્નાં શક્તિં નિપતિતાં દૃષ્ટ્વા ક્રોધસમન્વિતઃ । ચિક્ષેપ ચામરઃ શૂલં બાણૈસ્તદપિ સાચ્છિનત્ ॥
bhagnāṃ śaktiṃ nipatitāṃ dṛṣṭvā krodhasamanvitaḥ cikṣepa cāmaraḥ śūlaṃ bāṇaistadapi sācchinat
MeaningSeeing his spear broken and fallen, Chamara, filled with rage, flung a pike; but she split that too with her arrows.
તતઃ સિંહઃ સમુત્પત્ય ગજકુમ્ભાન્તરે સ્થિતઃ । બાહુયુદ્ધેન યુયુધે તેનોચ્ચૈસ્ત્રિદશારિણા ॥
tataḥ siṃhaḥ samutpatya gajakumbhāntare sthitaḥ bāhuyuddhena yuyudhe tenoccaistridaśāriṇā
MeaningThen the lion, leaping up, settled in the hollow of the elephant's temples and fought arm-to-arm, high aloft, with that foe of the gods.
યુધ્યમાનૌ તતસ્તૌ તુ તસ્માન્નાગાન્મહીં ગતૌ । યુયુધાતેઽતિસંરબ્ધૌ પ્રહારૈરતિદારુણૈઃ ॥
yudhyamānau tatastau tu tasmānnāgānmahīṃ gatau yuyudhāte'tisaṃrabdhau prahārairatidāruṇaiḥ
MeaningFighting, the two then came down from the elephant to the earth, and battled, greatly enraged, with most terrible blows.
તતો વેગાત્ ખમુત્પત્ય નિપત્ય ચ મૃગારિણા । કરપ્રહારેણ શિરશ્ચામરસ્ય પૃથક્ કૃતમ્ ॥
tato vegāt khamutpatya nipatya ca mṛgāriṇā karaprahāreṇa śiraścāmarasya pṛthak kṛtam
MeaningThen, springing swiftly into the sky and dropping down, the lion (foe of beasts) severed Chamara's head with a blow of its paw.
ઉદગ્રશ્ચ રણે દેવ્યા શિલાવૃક્ષાદિભિર્હતઃ । દન્તમુષ્ટિતલૈશ્ચૈવ કરાલશ્ચ નિપાતિતઃ ॥
udagraśca raṇe devyā śilāvṛkṣādibhirhataḥ dantamuṣṭitalaiścaiva karālaśca nipātitaḥ
MeaningAnd Udagra was slain in battle by the Devi with rocks, trees and the like; and Karala too was felled by her teeth, fists and palms.
દેવી ક્રુદ્ધા ગદાપાતૈશ્ચૂર્ણયામાસ ચોદ્ધતમ્ । બાષ્કલં ભિન્દિપાલેન બાણૈસ્તામ્રં તથાન્ધકમ્ ॥
devī kruddhā gadāpātaiścūrṇayāmāsa coddhatam bāṣkalaṃ bhindipālena bāṇaistāmraṃ tathāndhakam
MeaningThe Devi, enraged, ground the demon Uddhata to powder with blows of her mace, (slew) Bashkala with a javelin (bhindipala), and Tamra and Andhaka with arrows.
ઉગ્રાસ્યમુગ્રવીર્યં ચ તથૈવ ચ મહાહનુમ્ । ત્રિનેત્રા ચ ત્રિશૂલેન જઘાન પરમેશ્વરી ॥
ugrāsyamugravīryaṃ ca tathaiva ca mahāhanum trinetrā ca triśūlena jaghāna parameśvarī
MeaningThe three-eyed Supreme Goddess (Parameshwari) slew with her trident Ugrasya, Ugravirya, and Mahahanu likewise.
બિડાલસ્યાસિના કાયાત્ પાતયામાસ વૈ શિરઃ । દુર્ધરં દુર્મુખં ચોભૌ શરૈર્નિન્યે યમક્ષયમ્ ॥
biḍālasyāsinā kāyāt pātayāmāsa vai śiraḥ durdharaṃ durmukhaṃ cobhau śarairninye yamakṣayam
MeaningWith her sword she struck Bidala's head from his body; and both Durdhara and Durmukha she sent with her arrows to the abode of Yama (death).
એવં સઙ્ક્ષીયમાણે તુ સ્વસૈન્યે મહિષાસુરઃ । માહિષેણ સ્વરૂપેણ ત્રાસયામાસ તાન્ ગણાન્ ॥
evaṃ saṅkṣīyamāṇe tu svasainye mahiṣāsuraḥ māhiṣeṇa svarūpeṇa trāsayāmāsa tān gaṇān
MeaningWhile his army was thus being destroyed, Mahishasura terrified her hosts (ganas) with his buffalo form,
કાંશ્ચિત્તુણ્ડપ્રહારેણ ખુરક્ષેપૈસ્તથાપરાન્ । લાઙ્ગૂલતાડિતાંશ્ચાન્યાન્ શૃઙ્ગાભ્યાં ચ વિદારિતાન્ ॥
kāṃścittuṇḍaprahāreṇa khurakṣepaistathāparān lāṅgūlatāḍitāṃścānyān śaṛṅgābhyāṃ ca vidāritān
Meaningstriking some with a blow of his muzzle, others with a fling of his hooves, others lashed by his tail, and others gored by his two horns;
વેગેન કાંશ્ચિદપરાન્નાદેન ભ્રમણેન ચ । નિઃશ્વાસપવનેનાન્યાન્પાતયામાસ ભૂતલે ॥
vegena kāṃścidaparānnādena bhramaṇena ca niḥśvāsapavanenānyānpātayāmāsa bhūtale
Meaningand some others by his speed, by his bellow and his wheeling about, and others by the blast of his breath, he laid low upon the ground.
નિપાત્ય પ્રમથાનીકમભ્યધાવત સોઽસુરઃ । સિંહં હન્તું મહાદેવ્યાઃ કોપં ચક્રે તતોઽમ્બિકા ॥
nipātya pramathānīkamabhyadhāvata so'suraḥ siṃhaṃ hantuṃ mahādevyāḥ kopaṃ cakre tato'mbikā
MeaningHaving laid low the host of the Pramathas (the Devi's attendants), the asura rushed on to slay the Mahadevi's lion; at this Ambika grew wrathful.
સોઽપિ કોપાન્મહાવીર્યઃ ખુરક્ષુણ્ણમહીતલઃ । શૃઙ્ગાભ્યાં પર્વતાનુચ્ચાંશ્ચિક્ષેપ ચ નનાદ ચ ॥
so'pi kopānmahāvīryaḥ khurakṣuṇṇamahītalaḥ śaṛṅgābhyāṃ parvatānuccāṃścikṣepa ca nanāda ca
MeaningHe too, of great might, in his fury, pounding the earth's surface with his hooves, hurled high mountains with his horns, and bellowed.
વેગભ્રમણવિક્ષુણ્ણા મહી તસ્ય વ્યશીર્યત । લાઙ્ગૂલેનાહતશ્ચાબ્ધિઃ પ્લાવયામાસ સર્વતઃ ॥
vegabhramaṇavikṣuṇṇā mahī tasya vyaśīryata lāṅgūlenāhataścābdhiḥ plāvayāmāsa sarvataḥ
MeaningCrushed by the speed of his wheeling, the earth crumbled apart; and the ocean, lashed by his tail, overflowed on every side.
ધુતશૃઙ્ગવિભિન્નાશ્ચ ખણ્ડં ખણ્ડં યયુર્ઘનાઃ । શ્વાસાનિલાસ્તાઃ શતશો નિપેતુર્નભસોઽચલાઃ ॥
dhutaśaṛṅgavibhinnāśca khaṇḍaṃ khaṇḍaṃ yayurghanāḥ śvāsānilāstāḥ śataśo nipeturnabhaso'calāḥ
MeaningThe clouds, torn by his tossing horns, broke into pieces; and mountains by the hundred fell from the sky, (shattered) by the gale of his breath.
ઇતિ ક્રોધસમાધ્માતમાપતન્તં મહાસુરમ્ । દૃષ્ટ્વા સા ચણ્ડિકા કોપં તદ્વધાય તદાકરોત્ ॥
iti krodhasamādhmātamāpatantaṃ mahāsuram dṛṣṭvā sā caṇḍikā kopaṃ tadvadhāya tadākarot
MeaningSeeing the great asura thus swollen with wrath and rushing on, Chandika kindled her anger for his slaying.
સા ક્ષિપ્ત્વા તસ્ય વૈ પાશં તં બબન્ધ મહાસુરમ્ । તત્યાજ માહિષં રૂપં સોઽપિ બદ્ધો મહામૃધે ॥
sā kṣiptvā tasya vai pāśaṃ taṃ babandha mahāsuram tatyāja māhiṣaṃ rūpaṃ so'pi baddho mahāmṛdhe
MeaningShe flung her noose over him and bound the great asura; bound in the great battle, he forsook his buffalo form.
તતઃ સિંહોઽભવત્સદ્યો યાવત્તસ્યામ્બિકા શિરઃ । છિનત્તિ તાવત્ પુરુષઃ ખડ્ગપાણિરદૃશ્યત ॥
tataḥ siṃho'bhavatsadyo yāvattasyāmbikā śiraḥ chinatti tāvat puruṣaḥ khaḍgapāṇiradṛśyata
MeaningThen at once he became a lion; and just as Ambika moved to cut off its head, he appeared as a man, sword in hand.
તત એવાશુ પુરુષં દેવી ચિચ્છેદ સાયકૈઃ । તં ખડ્ગચર્મણા સાર્ધં તતઃ સોઽભૂન્મહાગજઃ ॥
tata evāśu puruṣaṃ devī ciccheda sāyakaiḥ taṃ khaḍgacarmaṇā sārdhaṃ tataḥ so'bhūnmahāgajaḥ
MeaningAt once the Devi pierced the man, together with his sword and shield, with her arrows; then he became a great elephant.
કરેણ ચ મહાસિંહં તં ચકર્ષ જગર્જ ચ । કર્ષતસ્તુ કરં દેવી ખડ્ગેન નિરકૃન્તત ॥
kareṇa ca mahāsiṃhaṃ taṃ cakarṣa jagarja ca karṣatastu karaṃ devī khaḍgena nirakṛntata
MeaningWith his trunk he dragged at her great lion and roared; but as he dragged, the Devi cut off his trunk with her sword.
તતો મહાસુરો ભૂયો માહિષં વપુરાસ્થિતઃ । તથૈવ ક્ષોભયામાસ ત્રૈલોક્યં સચરાચરમ્ ॥
tato mahāsuro bhūyo māhiṣaṃ vapurāsthitaḥ tathaiva kṣobhayāmāsa trailokyaṃ sacarācaram
MeaningThen the great asura once more assumed his buffalo form and, as before, convulsed the three worlds with all that moves and is unmoving.
તતઃ ક્રુદ્ધા જગન્માતા ચણ્ડિકા પાનમુત્તમમ્ । પપૌ પુનઃ પુનશ્ચૈવ જહાસારુણલોચના ॥
tataḥ kruddhā jaganmātā caṇḍikā pānamuttamam papau punaḥ punaścaiva jahāsāruṇalocanā
MeaningAt this the Mother of the world, Chandika, enraged, drank again and again the choice drink (madhu), and laughed, her eyes turning red.
નનર્દ ચાસુરઃ સોઽપિ બલવીર્યમદોદ્ધતઃ । વિષાણાભ્યાં ચ ચિક્ષેપ ચણ્ડિકાં પ્રતિ ભૂધરાન્ ॥
nanarda cāsuraḥ so'pi balavīryamadoddhataḥ viṣāṇābhyāṃ ca cikṣepa caṇḍikāṃ prati bhūdharān
MeaningAnd the asura too roared, puffed up with the pride of his strength and valour, and hurled mountains at Chandika with his horns.
સા ચ તાન્પ્રહિતાંસ્તેન ચૂર્ણયન્તી શરોત્કરૈઃ । ઉવાચ તં મદોદ્ધૂતમુખરાગાકુલાક્ષરમ્ ॥
sā ca tānprahitāṃstena cūrṇayantī śarotkaraiḥ uvāca taṃ madoddhūtamukharāgākulākṣaram
MeaningAnd she, pulverizing with showers of arrows those (mountains) hurled by him, spoke to him, her words faltering, her face flushed with the intoxication (of battle):
દેવ્યુવાચ ગર્જ ગર્જ ક્ષણં મૂઢ મધુ યાવત્પિબામ્યહમ્ । મયા ત્વયિ હતેઽત્રૈવ ગર્જિષ્યન્ત્યાશુ દેવતાઃ ॥
devyuvāca garja garja kṣaṇaṃ mūḍha madhu yāvatpibāmyaham mayā tvayi hate'traiva garjiṣyantyāśu devatāḥ
Meaning(The Devi said:) 'Roar, roar your fill for a moment, O fool, while I drink this wine (madhu). When you are slain by me here, the gods themselves shall soon roar (in triumph).'
ઋષિરુવાચ એવમુક્ત્વા સમુત્પત્ય સારૂઢા તં મહાસુરમ્ । પાદેનાક્રમ્ય કણ્ઠે ચ શૂલેનૈનમતાડયત્ ॥
ṛṣiruvāca evamuktvā samutpatya sārūḍhā taṃ mahāsuram pādenākramya kaṇṭhe ca śūlenainamatāḍayat
Meaning(The Rishi said:) Having said this, she sprang up and, mounting upon that great asura, pressed his neck with her foot and struck him with her trident.
તતઃ સોઽપિ પદાક્રાન્તસ્તયા નિજમુખાત્તદા । અર્ધનિષ્ક્રાન્ત એવાસીદ્દેવ્યા વીર્યેણ સંવૃતઃ ॥
tataḥ so'pi padākrāntastayā nijamukhāttadā ardhaniṣkrānta evāsīddevyā vīryeṇa saṃvṛtaḥ
MeaningThen, pressed down by her foot, he came forth half-out from his own (buffalo) mouth, wholly overpowered by the Devi's valour.
અર્ધનિષ્ક્રાન્ત એવાસૌ યુધ્યમાનો મહાસુરઃ । તયા મહાસિના દેવ્યા શિરશ્છિત્ત્વા નિપાતિતઃ ॥
ardhaniṣkrānta evāsau yudhyamāno mahāsuraḥ tayā mahāsinā devyā śiraśchittvā nipātitaḥ
MeaningFighting thus, only half-emerged, that great asura was felled by the Devi, who cut off his head with her great sword.
તતો હાહાકૃતં સર્વં દૈત્યસૈન્યં નનાશ તત્ । પ્રહર્ષં ચ પરં જગ્મુઃ સકલા દેવતાગણાઃ ॥
tato hāhākṛtaṃ sarvaṃ daityasainyaṃ nanāśa tat praharṣaṃ ca paraṃ jagmuḥ sakalā devatāgaṇāḥ
MeaningThen, with a cry of 'Alas!', the whole army of the daityas perished; and all the hosts of the gods attained the highest joy.
તુષ્ટુવુસ્તાં સુરા દેવીં સહદિવ્યૈર્મહર્ષિભિઃ । જગુર્ગન્ધર્વપતયો નનૃતુશ્ચાપ્સરોગણાઃ ॥
tuṣṭuvustāṃ surā devīṃ sahadivyairmaharṣibhiḥ jagurgandharvapatayo nanṛtuścāpsarogaṇāḥ
MeaningThe gods, together with the divine great sages, extolled the Devi; the lords of the Gandharvas sang, and the bands of Apsaras danced.