ਰਕ੍ਤਬੀਜਵਧ

Meaning(Om. The Rishi said:) When the daitya Chanda was slain and Munda laid low, and many armies destroyed, the lord of the asuras (Shumbha) —

Meaningthen mighty Shumbha, his mind overcome by wrath, ordered the mustering of all the armies of the daityas:

Meaning'Today let the eighty-six Udayudha daityas march out with all their forces, weapons raised, and the eighty-four Kambus surrounded by their own troops.

MeaningLet the fifty clans of the Kotiviryas (asuras of crore-fold might), and the hundred clans of the Dhaumras, go forth at my command.

MeaningLet the Kalakas, Daurhridas, Mauryas and the Kalikeya asuras, made ready for battle, march out swiftly at my command.'

MeaningHaving thus commanded, Shumbha, the lord of the asuras, of terrible rule, went forth surrounded by many thousands of great armies.

MeaningSeeing that most terrible army approaching, Chandika filled the space between earth and sky with the twang of her bowstring.

MeaningThereupon her lion made an exceedingly loud roar, O King; and Ambika swelled those roars with the clang of her bell.

MeaningFilling the quarters with the twang of bow, the roar of the lion and the clang of the bell, Kali, her mouth gaping wide, overwhelmed (the foe) with terrible bellows.

MeaningHearing that roar, the daitya armies surrounded the Devi, her lion and Kali on all four sides, full of fury.

MeaningAt this moment, O King, for the destruction of the gods' foes and the well-being of the foremost of the gods, endowed with surpassing valour and strength —

Meaningthe shaktis of Brahma, Shiva (Isha), Kartikeya (Guha), Vishnu and Indra issued forth from their bodies in their (own) forms and went to Chandika.

MeaningWhatever the form of each god, with his ornaments and mount, in just that form his shakti came forth to fight the asuras.

MeaningThe shakti of Brahma, seated in a swan-yoked aerial car, bearing a rosary and a water-pot, came forth; she is called Brahmani.

MeaningMaheshwari arrived mounted on a bull, bearing the finest trident, with great serpents for bracelets and adorned with the crescent moon.

MeaningKaumari, in the form of Guha (Kartikeya), spear in hand and riding a fine peacock — (she who is) Ambika herself — came to fight the daityas.

MeaningLikewise the Vaishnavi shakti, seated upon Garuda, came holding conch, discus, mace, the Sharnga bow and a sword in her hands.

MeaningThe shakti of Hari (Vishnu) who bears the matchless form of the Sacrificial Boar (Yajna-Varaha) also came there, bearing the body of Varahi.

MeaningNarasimhi, bearing a body like that of Nrisimha (the Man-lion), arrived there, tossing the clusters of stars by the shaking of her mane.

MeaningLikewise Aindri, thunderbolt in hand, seated upon the king of elephants, arrived — thousand-eyed, just like Shakra (Indra).

MeaningThen Ishana (Shiva), surrounded by those shaktis of the gods, said to Chandika: 'Let the asuras be slain quickly, for my satisfaction.'

MeaningThereupon from the body of the Devi came forth the shakti of Chandika, most terrible and exceedingly fierce, howling like a hundred jackals (shivas).

MeaningAnd she, the unconquered one, said to Ishana (Shiva) of smoke-coloured matted locks: 'Go, O Lord, as a messenger, to the side of Shumbha and Nishumbha.

MeaningTell Shumbha and Nishumbha, the two exceedingly arrogant danavas, and the other danavas assembled there for battle:

Meaning'Let Indra obtain the three worlds, let the gods enjoy their sacrificial shares; go you to the nether world (patala), if you wish to live.

MeaningBut if, out of pride in your strength, you long for battle — then come, and let my jackals (shivas) be sated with your flesh.''

MeaningBecause Shiva himself was appointed by that Devi as a messenger (duta), she therefore became renowned in this world as Shivaduti.

MeaningThose great asuras too, hearing the Devi's words reported by Sharva (Shiva), filled with indignation, went to where Katyayani stood.

MeaningThen, at the very outset, the foes of the gods, swollen with rage, rained showers of arrows, spears and lances upon that Devi.

MeaningAnd she, with great arrows shot from her resounding drawn bow, cleft as if in play those arrows, pikes, spears and axes hurled at her.

MeaningBefore her, then, ranged Kali, rending the foes with the fall of her pike and crushing them with her skull-staff (khatvanga).

MeaningBrahmani, wherever she ran, robbed the enemies of their valour and vigour by sprinkling water from her water-pot (kamandalu).

MeaningMaheshwari slew the daityas with her trident, Vaishnavi with her discus, and Kaumari, full of wrath, with her spear.

MeaningBy the fall of Aindri's thunderbolt the daityas and danavas fell by the hundred upon the earth, torn open and pouring streams of blood.

MeaningShattered by blows of the (boar's) snout, their breasts gashed by the tips of her tusks, and torn by her discus, (the asuras) fell before the Boar-form (Varahi).

MeaningTearing other great asuras with her claws and devouring them, Narasimhi roamed the battlefield, filling the quarters with her roar.

MeaningThe asuras, deranged by the fierce loud laughter (attahasa) of Shivaduti, fell upon the earth; and she then devoured those fallen ones.

MeaningSeeing the band of Mothers (Matrigana), thus enraged, crushing the great asuras by various means, the soldiers of the gods' foes fled.

MeaningSeeing the daityas, tormented by the band of Mothers, bent on flight, the great asura Raktabija came forth in wrath to fight.

MeaningWhenever a drop of blood fell from his body to the ground, there sprang up from the earth a great asura of equal stature.

MeaningThat great asura fought, mace in hand, with Indra's shakti (Aindri); then Aindri struck Raktabija with her own thunderbolt.

MeaningStruck by the thunderbolt, blood at once flowed copiously from him; thereupon arose warriors of his form and his valour.

MeaningAs many drops of blood as fell from his body, so many men (purushas) were born, of his might, strength and prowess.

MeaningAnd those men, born of blood, also fought there with the Mothers, most terribly, amid the falling of fierce weapons.

MeaningAnd again, when his head was wounded by the fall of the thunderbolt, blood flowed, and from it men were born by the thousand.

MeaningVaishnavi struck him in the battle with her discus; Aindri beat that lord of asuras with her mace.

MeaningBy the streams of blood flowing from him, split by Vaishnavi's discus, the world was pervaded, thousandfold, by great asuras of his size.

MeaningKaumari struck the great asura Raktabija with her spear, Varahi with her sword, and Maheshwari with her trident.

MeaningAnd that daitya, Raktabija the great asura, filled with wrath, smote all the Mothers, each separately, with his mace.

MeaningFrom the stream of blood that fell to the ground from him, struck in many places by spears, pikes and the rest, hundreds of asuras came into being.

MeaningAnd by those asuras born of the asura's blood the whole world was pervaded; thereupon the gods fell into the deepest fear.

MeaningSeeing the gods dejected, Chandika laughed and quickly said to Kali: 'O Chamunda, open wide your mouth!

MeaningWith this swift mouth of yours, receive the drops of blood, and the great asuras sprung from the drops of blood, born of the fall of my weapon.

MeaningRoam the battlefield devouring the great asuras born from him; thus this daitya, his blood drained, shall go to destruction.

MeaningAs you devour them, these fierce ones (will perish), and no others shall arise.' Having said this, the Devi then smote him with her pike.

MeaningKali caught the blood of Raktabija with her mouth. Then he struck Chandika there with his mace.

MeaningBut the blow of his mace caused her not even the slightest pain; and from his stricken body blood flowed copiously.

MeaningFrom wherever it flowed, Chamunda received it with her mouth; and whatever great asuras arose in her mouth from the falling blood —

Meaningthose Chamunda devoured, and drank his blood. The Devi, with pike, thunderbolt, arrows, swords and lances,

Meaningsmote that Raktabija whose blood was being drunk by Chamunda; and he fell upon the surface of the earth, struck down by the multitude of weapons.

MeaningAnd Raktabija, the great asura, became bloodless, O protector of the earth; thereupon the gods attained boundless joy, O King.

MeaningAnd the band of Mothers belonging to them, grown frenzied with the intoxication of blood, danced.