Durga Saptashati
Navamodhyaya
CHAPTER 9
Slaying of Nisumbha
The king (Suratha) said:
1-2. ‘Wonderful is this that you, adorable sir, have related to me about the greatness of the Devi’s act in slaying Raktabija.
3. ‘I wish to hear further what the very irate Sumbha and Nisumbha did after Raktabija was killed.’ The Rishi said:
4-5. After Raktabija was slain and other asuras were killed in the fight, the asura Sumbha and Nisumbha gave way to unbounded wrath.
6. Enraged on seeing his great army slaughtered, Nisumbha then rushed forward with the chief forces of the asuras.
7. In front of him behind him and on both sides of him, great asuras, enraged and biting their lips, advanced to slay the Devi.
8. Sumbha also, mighty in valour, went forward, surrounded, with his own troops to slay Chandika in this rage, after fighting with the Matrs.
9. Then commenced severe combat between the Devi on one side and on the other, Sumbha and Nisumbha who, like two thunder-clouds, rained a most tempestuous shower of arrows on her.
10. Chandika with numerous arrows quickly split the arrows shot by the two asuras and smote the two lords of asuras on their limbs with her mass of weapons.
11. Nisumbha, grasping a sharp sword and a shining shield, struck the lion, the great carrier of the Devi on the head.
12. When her carrier was struck, the Devi quickly cut Nisumbha’s superb sword with a sharp-edged arrow and also his shield on which eight moons were figured.
13. When his shield was slit and his sword too broken, the asura hurled his spear; and that missile also, as it advanced towards her, was split into two by her discus.
14. Then the danava Nisumbha, swelling with wrath, seized a dart; and that also, as it came, the Devi powdered with a blow of her fist.
15. Then brandishing his club, he flung it against Chandika; cleft by the trident of the Devi, it also turned to ashes.
16. Then the Devi assailed the heroic danava advancing with battle-axe in hand, and laid him low on the ground.
17. When his brother Nisumbha of terrific prowess fell to the ground, (Sumbha) got infuriated in the extreme, and strode forward to slay Ambika.
18. Standing in his chariot and grasping excellent weapons in his long and incomparable eight arms, he shone by pervading the entire sky.
19. Seeing him approaching, the Devi blew her conch, and made a twang of her bow-string, which was unbearable in the extreme.
20. And (the Devi) filled all directions with the ringing of her bell, which destroys the strength of all the daitya hosts.
21. The lion filled the heaven, the earth and the ten quarters of the sky with loud roars, which made the elephants give up their violent rut.
22. Then Kali, springing upwards in the sky, (came down) and struck the earth with both her hands; by its noise all the previous sounds were drowned.
23. Sivaduti made a loud ominous peal of laughter, the asuras were frightened by those sounds, and Sumbha flew into an utmost rage.
24. As Ambika said, ‘O evil-natured one, stop, stop’, the devas stationed in the sky cheered her with the words, ‘Be victorious’.
25. The spear, flaming most terribly and shining like a mass of fire, which Sumbha approaching hurled was, as it was coming along, put out by a great firebrand (from the Devi).
26. The interspace between the three worlds was pervaded by Sumbha’s lion-like roar, but the dreadful thunder-clap ( of the Devi) smothered that, O King.
27. The Devi split the arrows shot by Sumbha, and Sumbha also split the arrows discharged by her, (each with her and his) sharp arrows in hundreds and thousands.
28. Then Chandika became angry and smote him with a trident. Wounded therewith, he fainted and fell to the ground.
29. Then Nisumbha, regaining consciousness seized his bow and struck with arrows the Devi and Kali and the lion
30. And the danuja-lord, the son of Diti, putting forth a myriad arms, covered Chandika with myriad discuses.
31. Then Bhagavati Durga, the destroyer of difficulties and afflictions, became angry and split those discuses and those arrows with her own arrows.
32. Thereupon Nisumbha, surrounded by the daitya host, swiftly seizing his club, rushed at Chandika to sly her.
33. As he was just rushing at her, Chandika colve his club with her sharp-edged sword; and her took hold of a dart.
34. As Nisumbha, the afflictor of the devas, was advancing with the dart in hand, Chandika pierced him in the heart with a swiftly hurled dart.
35. From his (Nisumbha’s) heart that was pierced by the dart, issued forth another person of great strength and valour, exclaiming (at the Devi) ‘Stop.’
36. Then the Devi, laughing aloud, severed the head of him, who issued forth, with her sword. Thereupon he fell to the ground.
37. The lion then devoured those asuras whose necks he had crushed with his fierce teeth, and Kali and Sivaduti devoured others.
38. Some great asuras perished, being pierced through by the spear if Kaumari. Others were repulsed by (sprinkling of ) the water purified by the incantation of Brahmani.
39. Others fell, pierced by a trident wielded by Mahesvari; some were powdered on the ground by the blows from the snout of Varahi.
40. Some danavas were cut to pieces by the discus of Vaisnavi, and others again by the thunderbolt discharged from the palm of Aindri. 41. Some asuras perished (themselves), some fled from the great battle, and others were devoured by Kali, Sivaduti and the lion. Here ends the ninth chapter called ‘the Slaying of Nisumbha’ of Devi mahatmya in Markandeya-purana during the period of Savarni, the Manu.