The Slaying of Dhumralochana

Verse 1 (markandeya.86.1)

ऋषिरुवाच इत्याकर्ण्य वचो देव्याः स दूतोऽमर्षपूरितः । समाचष्ट समागम्य दैत्यराजाय विस्तरात् ॥ 86.1 ॥

ṛṣiruvāca ityākarṇya vaco devyāḥ sa dūto 'marṣapūritaḥ samācaṣṭa samāgamya daityarājāya vistarāt

The sage said: Having heard these words of the Devi, that messenger, filled with indignation, went and reported them in full detail to the lord of the daityas.

Verse 2 (markandeya.86.2)

तस्य दूतस्य तद्वाक्यमाकर्ण्यासुरराट् ततः । सक्रोधः प्राह दैत्यानामधिपं धूम्रलोचनम् ॥ 86.2 ॥

tasya dūtasya tadvākyamākarṇyāsurarāṭ tataḥ sakrodhaḥ prāha daityānāmadhipaṁ dhūmralocanam

Having heard that messenger's words, the lord of the asuras, filled with anger, spoke to Dhumralochana, the commander of the daityas.

Verse 3 (markandeya.86.3)

हे धूम्रलोचनाशु त्वं स्वसैन्यपरिवारितः । तामानय बलाद् दुष्टां केशाकर्षणविह्वलाम् ॥ 86.3 ॥

he dhūmralocanāśu tvaṁ svasainyaparivāritaḥ tāmānaya balād duṣṭāṁ keśākarṣaṇavihvalām

'O Dhumralochana, go at once, surrounded by your own army, and bring that wicked woman here by force, dragging her helpless by the hair.'

Verse 4 (markandeya.86.4)

तत्परित्राणदः कश्चिद्यदि वोत्तिष्ठतेऽपरः । स हन्तव्योऽमरो वापि यक्षो गन्धर्व एव वा ॥ 86.4 ॥

tatparitrāṇadaḥ kaścidyadi vottiṣṭhate 'paraḥ sa hantavyo 'maro vāpi yakṣo gandharva eva vā

'And if anyone else should rise up to protect her — be he a god, a yaksha, or even a gandharva — he too is to be slain.'

Verse 5 (markandeya.86.5)

तेनाज्ञप्तस्ततः शीघ्रं स दैत्यो धूम्रलोचनः । वृतः षष्ट्या सहस्राणामसुराणां द्रुतं ययौ ॥ 86.5 ॥

tenājñaptastataḥ śīghraṁ sa daityo dhūmralocanaḥ vṛtaḥ ṣaṣṭyā sahasrāṇāmasurāṇāṁ drutaṁ yayau

The sage said: Commanded thus, the daitya Dhumralochana swiftly set out, surrounded by sixty thousand asuras.

Verse 6 (markandeya.86.6)

स दृष्ट्वा तां ततो देवीं तुहिनाचलसंस्थिताम् । जगादोच्चैः प्रयाहीति मूलं शुम्भनिशुम्भयोः ॥ 86.6 ॥

sa dṛṣṭvā tāṁ tato devīṁ tuhinācalasaṁsthitām jagādoccaiḥ prayāhīti mūlaṁ śumbhaniśumbhayoḥ

Seeing the Devi seated there upon the snow-mountain, he cried out loudly, 'Go now — go to the presence of Shumbha and Nishumbha!'

Verse 7 (markandeya.86.7)

न चेत्प्रीत्याद्य भवती मद्भर्तारमुपैष्यति । ततो बलान्नयाम्येष केशाकर्षणविह्वलाम् ॥ 86.7 ॥

na cetprītyādya bhavatī madbhartāramupaiṣyati tato balānnayāmyeṣa keśākarṣaṇavihvalām

'If you will not now go willingly to my lord, then I shall drag you there by force, seizing you by the hair until you are overwhelmed.'

Verse 8 (markandeya.86.8)

श्रीदेव्युवाच दैत्येश्वरेण प्रहितो बलवान् बलसंवृतः । बलान्नयसि मामेवं ततः किं ते करोम्यहम् ॥ 86.8 ॥

śrīdevyuvāca daityeśvareṇa prahito balavān balasaṁvṛtaḥ balānnayasi māmevaṁ tataḥ kiṁ te karomyaham

The auspicious Devi said: 'You come sent by the lord of the daityas, mighty in yourself, and surrounded by your host — since you would thus take me by force, what indeed can I do about it?'

Verse 9 (markandeya.86.9)

ऋषिरुवाच इत्युक्तः सोऽभ्यधावत्तामसुरो धूम्रलोचनः । हुङ्कारेणैव तं भस्म सा चकाराम्बिका ततः ॥ 86.9 ॥

ṛṣiruvāca ityuktaḥ so 'bhyadhāvattāmasuro dhūmralocanaḥ huṅkāreṇaiva taṁ bhasma sā cakārāmbikā tataḥ

The sage said: Thus addressed, the asura Dhumralochana rushed at her — whereupon Ambika, with a mere sound of 'Hum', reduced him to ashes.

Verse 10 (markandeya.86.10)

अथ क्रुद्धं महासैन्यमसुराणां तथाम्बिका । ववर्ष सायकैस्तीक्ष्णैस्तथा शक्तिपरश्वधैः ॥ 86.10 ॥

atha kruddhaṁ mahāsainyamasurāṇāṁ tathāmbikā vavarṣa sāyakaistīkṣṇaistathā śaktiparaśvadhaiḥ

Then, upon that enraged great army of asuras, Ambika rained down sharp arrows, spears, and axes.

Verse 11 (markandeya.86.11)

ततो धुतसटः कोपात् कृत्वा नादं सुभैरवम् । पपातासुरसेनायां सिंहो देव्याः स्ववाहनः ॥ 86.11 ॥

tato dhutasaṭaḥ kopāt kṛtvā nādaṁ subhairavam papātāsurasenāyāṁ siṁho devyāḥ svavāhanaḥ

Then, shaking its mane in fury and letting out a most terrifying roar, the Devi's own mount, the lion, fell upon the army of asuras.

Verse 12 (markandeya.86.12)

कांश्चित् करप्रहारेण दैत्यानास्येन चापरान् । आक्रम्य चाधरेणान्यान् स जघान महासुरान् ॥ 86.12 ॥

kāṁścit karaprahāreṇa daityānāsyena cāparān ākramya cādhareṇānyān sa jaghāna mahāsurān

With a blow of its paw it slew some daityas, others with its mouth, and, seizing yet others in its jaw, it destroyed those great asuras.

Verse 13 (markandeya.86.13)

केषाञ्चित् पाटयामास नखैः कोष्ठानि केसरी । तथा तलप्रिहारेण शिरांसि कृतवान् पृथक् ॥ 86.13 ॥

keṣāñcit pāṭayāmāsa nakhaiḥ koṣṭhāni kesarī tathā talaprihāreṇa śirāṁsi kṛtavān pṛthak

With its claws it tore open the bellies of some, and with a blow of its paw it severed the heads of others.

Verse 14 (markandeya.86.14)

विच्छिन्नबाहुशिरसः सृतास्तेन तथापरे । पपौ च रुधिरं कोष्ठादन्येषां धुतकेसरः ॥ 86.14 ॥

vicchinnabāhuśirasaḥ sṛtāstena tathāpare papau ca rudhiraṁ koṣṭhādanyeṣāṁ dhutakesaraḥ

Others, their arms and heads severed, were made by it to perish in that manner; and, its mane bristling, it drank the blood flowing from the bellies of still others.

Verse 15 (markandeya.86.15)

क्षणेन तद्बलं सर्वं क्षयं नीतं महात्मना । तेन केसरिणा देव्या वाहनेनातिकोपिना ॥ 86.15 ॥

kṣaṇena tadbalaṁ sarvaṁ kṣayaṁ nītaṁ mahātmanā tena kesariṇā devyā vāhanenātikopinā

In a single moment that entire army was brought to destruction by that great and utterly enraged lion, the Devi's own mount.

Verse 16 (markandeya.86.16)

श्रुत्वा तमसुरं देव्या निहतं धूम्रलोचनम् । बलं च क्षयितं कृत्स्त्रं देवीकेसरिणा ततः ॥ 86.16 ॥

śrutvā tamasuraṁ devyā nihataṁ dhūmralocanam balaṁ ca kṣayitaṁ kṛtstraṁ devīkesariṇā tataḥ

Hearing that the asura Dhumralochana had been slain by the Devi, and that his entire army had been destroyed by the Devi's lion...

Verse 17 (markandeya.86.17)

चुकोप दैत्याधिपतिः शुम्भः प्रस्फुरिताधरः । आज्ञापयामास च तौ चण्डमुण्डौ महासुरौ ॥ 86.17 ॥

cukopa daityādhipatiḥ śumbhaḥ prasphuritādharaḥ ājñāpayāmāsa ca tau caṇḍamuṇḍau mahāsurau

...the lord of the daityas, Shumbha, his lips trembling with fury, flew into rage and gave this command to the two great asuras, Chanda and Munda.

Verse 18 (markandeya.86.18)

हे चण्ड हे मुण्ड बलैर्बहुभिः परिवारितौ । तत्र गच्छत गत्वा च सा समानीयतां लघु ॥ 86.18 ॥

he caṇḍa he muṇḍa balairbahubhiḥ parivāritau tatra gacchata gatvā ca sā samānīyatāṁ laghu

'O Chanda, O Munda, go there surrounded by a great host, and having gone, bring her here at once.'

Verse 19 (markandeya.86.19)

केशेष्वाकृष्य बद्ध्वा वा यदि वः संशयो युधि । तदाशेषायुधैः सर्वैरसुरैर्विनिहन्यताम् ॥ 86.19 ॥

keśeṣvākṛṣya baddhvā vā yadi vaḥ saṁśayo yudhi tadāśeṣāyudhaiḥ sarvairasurairvinihanyatām

'Drag her by the hair, or bind her; and if you have any doubt about the battle, then let her be slain outright by all the asuras with every weapon.'

Verse 20 (markandeya.86.20)

तस्यां हतायां दुष्टायां सिंहे च विनिपातिते । शीघ्रमागम्यतां बद्ध्वा गृहीत्वा तामथाम्बिकाम् ॥ 86.20 ॥

tasyāṁ hatāyāṁ duṣṭāyāṁ siṁhe ca vinipātite śīghramāgamyatāṁ baddhvā gṛhītvā tāmathāmbikām

'Once that wicked woman is slain and her lion struck down, return at once, having bound and seized Ambika.'