Canto XC - The Devī-Māhātmya: The slaying of Śumbha

Ambikā absorbed all the other goddesses, and fighting with Śumbha in single combat, killed him.—The universe was then filled with joy.

The ṛṣi spoke:

Seeing his brother Niśumbha slain, who was dear to him as his life, and his army being slaughtered, Śumbha in wrath spoke thus—“O Durgā, who art tainted with the arrogance of strength, bring not thy pride here, thou who, trusting in the strength of the other goddesses, dost fight in exceeding haughtiness!”

The goddess spoke:

Alone verily am I in the world here; what other goddess is there besides me? See, vile one! that these goddesses, who have their divine power from me, are entering into me indeed.

Then all those goddesses, Brahmāṇī and the others, became absorbed into the goddess’ breasts; Ambikā then remained alone indeed.

The goddess spoke:

Whereas I existed^[1] with my divine power in many forms here—that has been drawn in by me, truly alone I stand now. Be thou steadfast in combat!

The ṛṣi spoke:

Thereupon commenced a battle between them both, the goddess and Śumbha, while all the gods and the Asuras looked on —a battle without quarter. With showers of arrows, with sharp weapons and also with pitiless missiles both engaged anew in a combat which set all the world in fear. And the lord of the Daityas broke the heavenly missiles, which Ambikā discharged in hundreds, with weapons that parried them. And the supreme goddess in merest play broke the heavenly missiles that he discharged, with fierce shouts, ejaculations and other sounds. Then the Asura covered the goddess with hundreds of arrows, and the goddess enraged thereat split his bow also with her arrows. And when his bow was split the lord of the Daityas took up his spear. The goddess split it, as he held it in his hand, with a discus. Next the supreme monarch of the Daityas, seizing his scymitar and sUnlike shield, on which a hundred moons were pourtrayed, rushed at the goddess^[2] at that monent. Just as he was falling upon her, Caṇḍikā hastily split his scymitar with sharp arrows shot from her bow, and his shield also which was spotless as the sun’s rays. With his steeds wounded, with his bow split, without a charioteer, the Daitya then^[3] grasped his terrible mace, being ready to slay Ambikā. As he was falling upon her, she clove his mace with sharp arrows; nevertheless raising his fist he rushed swiftly at her. The lordly Daitya brought his fist down on the goddess’ heart, and the goddess also smote him on his breast with her palm. Wounded by the blow of her palm the Daitya king fell suddenly on the earth; and again indeed he rose up, and springing upward he seized the goddess and mounted on high into the sky. There also Caṇḍikā, being without any support, fought with him. The Daitya and Caṇḍikā then fought at first with each other in the sky in a close combat, which wrought dismay among the Sīddhas and munis; after carrying on the close combat for a very long time with him, Ambikā lifted him up. then and whirled him around and flung him on the earth. When flung thus he touched the earth, he raised his fist hastily and rushed, evil of soul as he was, with the wish to kill Caṇḍikā. Seeing him, the lord of all the Daitya folk, approaching, the goddess then pierced him in the breast with a dart and felled him down on the earth. Shattered by the point of the goddess’ dart he fell lifeless on the ground, shaking the whole earth and its seas, islands and mountains.

When that evil-souled demon was slain, the universe became placid, the earth regained perfect well-being, and the sky grew pure. Portent-clouds, which were full of flame before, became tranquil, and the rivers kept within their channels, when he was stricken down there. All the bands of gods then grew exceedingly joyful in mind, when he was slain; the Gandharvas sang out sweetly, and others of them sounded their instruments, and the bevies of Apsarases danced; and favourable breezes blew, very brilliant grew the sun, and the tranquil sacred fires blazed freely, and tranquil became the strange sounds that had occurred in the regions of the sky.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

For yadā sthitā read yad āsthitā as in the Bombay edition.

[2]:

For devī read devīm. The Bombay edition reads taṃ hantum.

[3]:

For sadā read tadā.