धूम्रलोचनवध
Dhūmralocana Vadha
The Slaying of Dhumralochana · 20 verses
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Stung by the Devi's reply, Shumbha sends the demon-general Dhumralochana with sixty thousand asuras to seize her by force. When he threatens to drag her by the hair, the Goddess reduces him to ashes with a single syllable 'hum'. Her lion then falls upon his huge army and annihilates it in a moment, tearing the asuras apart with claw and fang. Hearing of Dhumralochana's death and the destruction of his host, the enraged Shumbha dispatches the great asuras Chanda and Munda to capture or kill her.
✦ Dhyāna — Opening Meditation
ॐ नागाधीश्वरविष्टरां फणिफणोत्तंसोरु रत्नावली- भास्वद्देहलतां दिवाकरनिभां नेत्रत्रयोद्भासिताम् । मालाकुम्भकपालनीरजकरां चन्द्रार्धचूडां परां सर्वज्ञेश्वरभैरवाङ्गनिलयां पद्मावतीं चिन्तये ॥
oṃ nāgādhīśvaraviṣṭarāṃ phaṇiphaṇottaṃsoru ratnāvalī- bhāsvaddehalatāṃ divākaranibhāṃ netratrayodbhāsitām mālākumbhakapālanīrajakarāṃ candrārdhacūḍāṃ parāṃ sarvajñeśvarabhairavāṅganilayāṃ padmāvatīṃ cintaye
I meditate on the supreme Padmavati, seated upon the king of serpents, her creeper-like body gleaming with the rows of gems on the great serpent-hoods, radiant as the sun and lit by her three eyes, bearing in her hands a garland, a pitcher, a skull and a lotus, crowned with the half-moon, who dwells in the body of Bhairava, the lord of the all-knowing.
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ॐ ऋषिरुवाच इत्याकर्ण्य वचो देव्याः स दूतोऽमर्षपूरितः । समाचष्ट समागम्य दैत्यराजाय विस्तरात् ॥
oṃ ṛṣiruvāca ityākarṇya vaco devyāḥ sa dūto'marṣapūritaḥ samācaṣṭa samāgamya daityarājāya vistarāt
Meaning(Om. The Rishi said:) Having heard these words of the Devi, that messenger, filled with indignation, returned and reported them in detail to the king of the daityas.
तस्य दूतस्य तद्वाक्यमाकर्ण्यासुरराट् ततः । सक्रोधः प्राह दैत्यानामधिपं धूम्रलोचनम् ॥
tasya dūtasya tadvākyamākarṇyāsurarāṭ tataḥ sakrodhaḥ prāha daityānāmadhipaṃ dhūmralocanam
MeaningOn hearing those words of his messenger, the lord of the asuras then, full of wrath, said to Dhumralochana, a chief of the daityas:
हे धूम्रलोचनाशु त्वं स्वसैन्यपरिवारितः । तामानय बलाद्दुष्टां केशाकर्षणविह्वलाम् ॥
he dhūmralocanāśu tvaṃ svasainyaparivāritaḥ tāmānaya balādduṣṭāṃ keśākarṣaṇavihvalām
Meaning'O Dhumralochana, go quickly, surrounded by your army, and bring here by force that wicked woman, made helpless by the dragging of her hair.
तत्परित्राणदः कश्चिद्यदि वोत्तिष्ठतेऽपरः । स हन्तव्योऽमरो वापि यक्षो गन्धर्व एव वा ॥
tatparitrāṇadaḥ kaścidyadi vottiṣṭhate'paraḥ sa hantavyo'maro vāpi yakṣo gandharva eva vā
MeaningAnd if any other should rise up to rescue her, let him be slain — be he a god, a yaksha, or a gandharva.'
ऋषिरुवाच तेनाज्ञप्तस्ततः शीघ्रं स दैत्यो धूम्रलोचनः । वृतः षष्ट्या सहस्राणामसुराणां द्रुतं ययौ ॥
ṛṣiruvāca tenājñaptastataḥ śīghraṃ sa daityo dhūmralocanaḥ vṛtaḥ ṣaṣṭyā sahasrāṇāmasurāṇāṃ drutaṃ yayau
Meaning(The Rishi said:) Thus commanded, the daitya Dhumralochana went forth swiftly, surrounded by sixty thousand asuras.
स दृष्ट्वा तां ततो देवीं तुहिनाचलसंस्थिताम् । जगादोच्चैः प्रयाहीति मूलं शुम्भनिशुम्भयोः ॥
sa dṛṣṭvā tāṃ tato devīṃ tuhinācalasaṃsthitām jagādoccaiḥ prayāhīti mūlaṃ śumbhaniśumbhayoḥ
MeaningThen, seeing the Devi seated on the snowy mountain (Himalaya), he loudly called out: 'Go to the presence of Shumbha and Nishumbha!
न चेत्प्रीत्याद्य भवती मद्भर्तारमुपैष्यति । ततो बलान्नयाम्येष केशाकर्षणविह्वलाम् ॥
na cetprītyādya bhavatī madbhartāramupaiṣyati tato balānnayāmyeṣa keśākarṣaṇavihvalām
MeaningIf you will not now go to my lord with goodwill, then I shall lead you away by force, helpless, dragged by the hair.'
देव्युवाच दैत्येश्वरेण प्रहितो बलवान्बलसंवृतः । बलान्नयसि मामेवं ततः किं ते करोम्यहम् ॥
devyuvāca daityeśvareṇa prahito balavānbalasaṃvṛtaḥ balānnayasi māmevaṃ tataḥ kiṃ te karomyaham
Meaning(The Devi said:) 'You are sent by the lord of the daityas, mighty and surrounded by an army; if you would thus lead me away by force — then what can I do to you (i.e. how can I prevent what must follow)?'
ऋषिरुवाच इत्युक्तः सोऽभ्यधावत्तामसुरो धूम्रलोचनः । हुङ्कारेणैव तं भस्म सा चकाराम्बिका तदा ॥
ṛṣiruvāca ityuktaḥ so'bhyadhāvattāmasuro dhūmralocanaḥ huṅkāreṇaiva taṃ bhasma sā cakārāmbikā tadā
Meaning(The Rishi said:) Thus addressed, the asura Dhumralochana rushed at her; and with a mere 'hum' (hunkara) Ambika then reduced him to ashes.
अथ क्रुद्धं महासैन्यमसुराणां तथाम्बिका । ववर्ष सायकैस्तीक्ष्णैस्तथा शक्तिपरश्वधैः ॥
atha kruddhaṃ mahāsainyamasurāṇāṃ tathāmbikā vavarṣa sāyakaistīkṣṇaistathā śaktiparaśvadhaiḥ
MeaningThen Ambika rained sharp arrows, spears and battle-axes upon the enraged great army of the asuras.
ततो धुतसटः कोपात्कृत्वा नादं सुभैरवम् । पपातासुरसेनायां सिंहो देव्याः स्ववाहनः ॥
tato dhutasaṭaḥ kopātkṛtvā nādaṃ subhairavam papātāsurasenāyāṃ siṃho devyāḥ svavāhanaḥ
MeaningThereupon the lion, the Devi's own mount, shaking its mane in fury and uttering a most terrible roar, fell upon the asura army.
कांश्चित्करप्रहारेण दैत्यानास्येन चापरान् । आक्रान्त्या चाधरेणान्यान् जघान स महासुरान् ॥
kāṃścitkaraprahāreṇa daityānāsyena cāparān ākrāntyā cādhareṇānyān jaghāna sa mahāsurān
MeaningSome of the great asuras it slew with a blow of its paw, others with its mouth, and yet others by crushing them under (its body).
केषाञ्चित्पाटयामास नखैः कोष्ठानि केसरी । तथा तलप्रहारेण शिरांसि कृतवान्पृथक् ॥
keṣāñcitpāṭayāmāsa nakhaiḥ koṣṭhāni kesarī tathā talaprahāreṇa śirāṃsi kṛtavānpṛthak
MeaningThe lion tore open the bellies of some with its claws, and with a blow of its paw struck off (their) heads.
विच्छिन्नबाहुशिरसः कृतास्तेन तथापरे । पपौ च रुधिरं कोष्ठादन्येषां धुतकेसरः ॥
vicchinnabāhuśirasaḥ kṛtāstena tathāpare papau ca rudhiraṃ koṣṭhādanyeṣāṃ dhutakesaraḥ
MeaningBy it others were made bereft of arms and heads; and, shaking its mane, it drank the blood from the entrails of others.
क्षणेन तद्बलं सर्वं क्षयं नीतं महात्मना । तेन केसरिणा देव्या वाहनेनातिकोपिना ॥
kṣaṇena tadbalaṃ sarvaṃ kṣayaṃ nītaṃ mahātmanā tena kesariṇā devyā vāhanenātikopinā
MeaningIn a moment all that army was brought to destruction by that noble, exceedingly wrathful lion, the Devi's mount.
श्रुत्वा तमसुरं देव्या निहतं धूम्रलोचनम् । बलं च क्षयितं कृत्स्नं देवीकेसरिणा ततः ॥
śrutvā tamasuraṃ devyā nihataṃ dhūmralocanam balaṃ ca kṣayitaṃ kṛtsnaṃ devīkesariṇā tataḥ
MeaningWhen it was heard that the asura Dhumralochana had been slain by the Devi, and his whole army destroyed by the Devi's lion,
चुकोप दैत्याधिपतिः शुम्भः प्रस्फुरिताधरः । आज्ञापयामास च तौ चण्डमुण्डौ महासुरौ ॥
cukopa daityādhipatiḥ śumbhaḥ prasphuritādharaḥ ājñāpayāmāsa ca tau caṇḍamuṇḍau mahāsurau
Meaningthen Shumbha, lord of the daityas, was enraged, his lips quivering, and he commanded the two great asuras Chanda and Munda:
हे चण्ड हे मुण्ड बलैर्बहुभिः परिवारितौ । तत्र गच्छत गत्वा च सा समानीयतां लघु ॥
he caṇḍa he muṇḍa balairbahubhiḥ parivāritau tatra gacchata gatvā ca sā samānīyatāṃ laghu
Meaning'O Chanda, O Munda, go there surrounded by numerous forces; and having gone, bring her here quickly,
केशेष्वाकृष्य बद्ध्वा वा यदि वः संशयो युधि । तदाशेषायुधैः सर्वैरसुरैर्विनिहन्यताम् ॥
keśeṣvākṛṣya baddhvā vā yadi vaḥ saṃśayo yudhi tadāśeṣāyudhaiḥ sarvairasurairvinihanyatām
Meaningdragging her by the hair or binding her. But if you have any doubt about (succeeding in) the fight, then let her be slain by all the asuras with all their weapons.
तस्यां हतायां दुष्टायां सिंहे च विनिपातिते । शीघ्रमागम्यतां बद्ध्वा गृहीत्वा तामथाम्बिकाम् ॥
tasyāṃ hatāyāṃ duṣṭāyāṃ siṃhe ca vinipātite śīghramāgamyatāṃ baddhvā gṛhītvā tāmathāmbikām
MeaningAnd when that wicked woman is slain and the lion struck down, come back swiftly, having bound and seized that Ambika.'