Kali's Battle

Verse 1 (shiva.rudra.176.1)

सनत्कुमार उवाच । सा च गत्वा हि सङ्ग्रामं सिंहनादं चकार ह । देव्याश्च तेन नादेन मूर्च्छामापुश्च दानवाः

sanatkumāra uvāca sā ca gatvā hi saṅgrāmaṁ siṁhanādaṁ cakāra ha devyāśca tena nādena mūrcchāmāpuśca dānavāḥ

Going into battle, she let out a lion's roar; and by that roar of the goddess, the danavas fell into a swoon.

Verse 2 (shiva.rudra.176.2)

अट्टाट्टहासमशिवं चकार च पुनः पुनः । तदा पपौ च माध्वीकं ननर्त रणमूर्द्धनि

aṭṭāṭṭahāsamaśivaṁ cakāra ca punaḥ punaḥ tadā papau ca mādhvīkaṁ nanarta raṇamūrddhani

Again and again she let out a terrible, ominous peal of laughter; then she drank sweet wine and danced at the very head of the battlefield.

Verse 3 (shiva.rudra.176.3)

उग्रदंष्ट्रा चोग्रदण्डा कोटवी च पपौ मधु । अन्याश्च देव्यस्तत्राजौ ननृतुर्मधु सम्पपुः

ugradaṁṣṭrā cogradaṇḍā koṭavī ca papau madhu anyāśca devyastatrājau nanṛturmadhu sampapuḥ

Ugradamshtra, Ugradanda, and Kotavi likewise drank wine; and the other goddesses too, in that battle, danced and drank their fill of wine.

Verse 4 (shiva.rudra.176.4)

महान् कोलाहलो जातो गणदेवदले तदा । जहृषुर्बहुगर्जन्तः सर्वे सुरगणादयः

mahān kolāhalo jāto gaṇadevadale tadā jahṛṣurbahugarjantaḥ sarve suragaṇādayaḥ

A great tumult arose then among the ranks of ganas and gods; all the hosts of gods and the rest rejoiced, roaring loudly.

Verse 5 (shiva.rudra.176.5)

दृष्ट्वा कालीं शङ्खचूडः शीघ्रमाजौ समाययौ । दानवाश्च भयं प्राप्ता राजा तेभ्योऽभयं ददौ

dṛṣṭvā kālīṁ śaṅkhacūḍaḥ śīghramājau samāyayau dānavāśca bhayaṁ prāptā rājā tebhyo'bhayaṁ dadau

Seeing Kali, Shankhachuda swiftly advanced into the fray; and when the danavas were seized with fear, their king granted them fearlessness.

Verse 6 (shiva.rudra.176.6)

काली चिक्षेप वह्निं च प्रलयाग्निशिखोपमम् । राजा जघान तं शीघ्रं वैष्णवाङ्कितलीलया

kālī cikṣepa vahniṁ ca pralayāgniśikhopamam rājā jaghāna taṁ śīghraṁ vaiṣṇavāṅkitalīlayā

Kali hurled a fire-missile like the very flame of the fire of dissolution; the king swiftly countered it, almost playfully, with the Vaishnava weapon.

Verse 7 (shiva.rudra.176.7)

नारायणास्त्रं सा देवी चिक्षेप तदुपर्यरम् । वृद्धिं जगाम तच्छस्त्रं दृष्ट्वा वामं च दानवम्

nārāyaṇāstraṁ sā devī cikṣepa taduparyaram vṛddhiṁ jagāma tacchastraṁ dṛṣṭvā vāmaṁ ca dānavam

The goddess then hurled the Narayana missile straight upon him; that weapon grew ever greater still upon seeing the arrogant danava.

Verse 8 (shiva.rudra.176.8)

तं दृष्ट्वा शङ्खचूडश्च प्रलयाग्निशिखोपमम् । पपात दण्डवद्भूमौ प्रणनाम पुनःपुनः

taṁ dṛṣṭvā śaṅkhacūḍaśca pralayāgniśikhopamam papāta daṇḍavadbhūmau praṇanāma punaḥpunaḥ

Seeing it, blazing like the very flame of the fire of dissolution, Shankhachuda fell flat upon the ground like a fallen staff, bowing again and again.

Verse 9 (shiva.rudra.176.9)

निवृत्तिं प्राप तच्छ्स्त्रं दृष्ट्वा नम्रं च दानवम् । ब्रह्मास्त्रमथ सा देवी चिक्षेप मन्त्रपूर्वकम्

nivṛttiṁ prāpa tacchstraṁ dṛṣṭvā namraṁ ca dānavam brahmāstramatha sā devī cikṣepa mantrapūrvakam

Seeing the danava so humbled, that weapon withdrew; then the goddess, invoking it with due mantra, hurled the Brahma missile.

Verse 10 (shiva.rudra.176.10)

तं दृष्ट्वा प्रज्ज्वलन्तं च प्रणम्य भुवि संस्थितः । ब्रह्मास्त्रेण दानवेन्द्रो विनिर्वारं चकार ह

taṁ dṛṣṭvā prajjvalantaṁ ca praṇamya bhuvi saṁsthitaḥ brahmāstreṇa dānavendro vinirvāraṁ cakāra ha

Seeing it blaze forth, the lord of danavas bowed and lay flat upon the ground; and in this way he warded off the Brahma missile.

Verse 11 (shiva.rudra.176.11)

अथ क्रुद्धो दानवेन्द्रो धनुराकृष्य रंहसा । चिक्षेप दिव्यान्यस्त्राणि देव्यै वै मन्त्रपूर्वकम्

atha kruddho dānavendro dhanurākṛṣya raṁhasā cikṣepa divyānyastrāṇi devyai vai mantrapūrvakam

Then the enraged lord of danavas, swiftly drawing his bow, loosed divine missiles at the goddess, each duly invoked with mantra.

Verse 12 (shiva.rudra.176.12)

आहारं समरे चक्रे प्रसार्य मुखमायतम् । जगर्ज साट्टहासं च दानवा भयमाययुः

āhāraṁ samare cakre prasārya mukhamāyatam jagarja sāṭṭahāsaṁ ca dānavā bhayamāyayuḥ

In that battle she opened her vast mouth wide to devour them, and roared with a terrible laugh; the danavas were seized with fear.

Verse 13 (shiva.rudra.176.13)

काल्यै चिक्षेप शक्तिं स शतयोजनमायताम् । देवी दिव्यास्त्रजालेन शतखण्डं चकार सा

kālyai cikṣepa śaktiṁ sa śatayojanamāyatām devī divyāstrajālena śatakhaṇḍaṁ cakāra sā

He hurled a spear at Kali, a hundred yojanas in length; the goddess, with a web of divine missiles, shattered it into a hundred fragments.

Verse 14 (shiva.rudra.176.14)

स च वैष्णवमस्त्रं च चिक्षेप चण्डिकोपरि । माहेश्वरेण काली च विनिर्वारं चकार सा

sa ca vaiṣṇavamastraṁ ca cikṣepa caṇḍikopari māheśvareṇa kālī ca vinirvāraṁ cakāra sā

He then hurled the Vaishnava missile upon Chandika; Kali warded it off with the Maheshvara missile.

Verse 15 (shiva.rudra.176.15)

एवं चिरतरं युद्धमन्योऽन्यं सम्बभूव ह । प्रेक्षका अभवन् सर्वे देवाश्च दानवा अपि

evaṁ cirataraṁ yuddhamanyo'nyaṁ sambabhūva ha prekṣakā abhavan sarve devāśca dānavā api

Thus, for a very long time, this battle raged between the two of them; all the gods and the danavas alike became mere spectators.

Verse 16 (shiva.rudra.176.16)

अथ कुद्धा महादेवी काली कालसमा रणे । जग्राह मन्त्रपूतं च शरं पाशुपतं रुषा

atha kuddhā mahādevī kālī kālasamā raṇe jagrāha mantrapūtaṁ ca śaraṁ pāśupataṁ ruṣā

Then the great goddess Kali, equal to Time itself in that battle, took up in fury the Pashupata arrow, hallowed with mantra.

Verse 17 (shiva.rudra.176.17)

क्षेपात्पूर्वं तन्निषेद्धुं वाग्बभूवाशरीरिणी । न क्षिपास्त्रमिदं देवि शङ्खचूडाय वै रुषा

kṣepātpūrvaṁ tanniṣeddhuṁ vāgbabhūvāśarīriṇī na kṣipāstramidaṁ devi śaṅkhacūḍāya vai ruṣā

Before she could loose it, a bodiless voice rang out to stop her: "Do not, O goddess, in your fury, loose this missile against Shankhachuda!"

Verse 18 (shiva.rudra.176.18)

मृत्युः पाशुपतान्नास्त्यमोघादपि च चण्डिके । शङ्खचूडस्य वीरस्योपायमन्यं विचारय

mṛtyuḥ pāśupatānnāstyamoghādapi ca caṇḍike śaṅkhacūḍasya vīrasyopāyamanyaṁ vicāraya

"O Chandika, even the unfailing Pashupata cannot bring death to him; consider some other means for the hero Shankhachuda."

Verse 19 (shiva.rudra.176.19)

इत्याकर्ण्य भद्रकाली न चिक्षेप तदस्त्रकम् । शतलक्षं दानवानां जघास लीलया क्षुधा

ityākarṇya bhadrakālī na cikṣepa tadastrakam śatalakṣaṁ dānavānāṁ jaghāsa līlayā kṣudhā

Hearing this, Bhadrakali did not loose that missile; instead, hungrily and with ease, she devoured ten million danavas.

Verse 20 (shiva.rudra.176.20)

अत्तुं जगाम वेगेन शङ्खचूडं भयङ्करी । दिव्यास्त्रेण च रौद्रेण वारयामास दानवः

attuṁ jagāma vegena śaṅkhacūḍaṁ bhayaṅkarī divyāstreṇa ca raudreṇa vārayāmāsa dānavaḥ

The terrible goddess rushed swiftly forward to devour Shankhachuda; but the danava warded her off with a fierce divine missile.

Verse 21 (shiva.rudra.176.21)

अथ क्रुद्धो दानवेन्द्रः खड्गं चिक्षेप सत्वरम् । ग्रीष्मसूर्योपमं तीक्ष्णधारमत्यन्तभीकरम्

atha kruddho dānavendraḥ khaḍgaṁ cikṣepa satvaram grīṣmasūryopamaṁ tīkṣṇadhāramatyantabhīkaram

Then the enraged lord of danavas swiftly hurled his sword — bright as the summer sun, keen of edge, and utterly terrifying.

Verse 22 (shiva.rudra.176.22)

सा काली तं समालोक्यायान्तं प्रज्वलितं रुषा । प्रसार्य मुखमाहारं चक्रे तस्य च पश्यतः

sā kālī taṁ samālokyāyāntaṁ prajvalitaṁ ruṣā prasārya mukhamāhāraṁ cakre tasya ca paśyataḥ

Kali, seeing it come blazing toward her in fury, opened her mouth wide and swallowed it, even as he watched.

Verse 23 (shiva.rudra.176.23)

दिव्यान्यस्त्राणि चान्यानि चिच्छेद दानवेश्वरः । प्राप्तानि पूर्वतश्चक्रे शतखण्डानि तानि च

divyānyastrāṇi cānyāni ciccheda dānaveśvaraḥ prāptāni pūrvataścakre śatakhaṇḍāni tāni ca

The lord of danavas cut down other divine missiles as well, shattering into a hundred pieces those that had come at him before.

Verse 24 (shiva.rudra.176.24)

पुनरत्तुं महादेवी वेगतस्तं जगाम ह । सर्वसिद्धेश्वरः श्रीमानन्तर्धानं चकार सः

punarattuṁ mahādevī vegatastaṁ jagāma ha sarvasiddheśvaraḥ śrīmānantardhānaṁ cakāra saḥ

Again the great goddess rushed swiftly toward him to devour him; but the glorious lord of all siddhis simply vanished.

Verse 25 (shiva.rudra.176.25)

वेगेन मुष्टिना काली तमदृष्ट्वा च दानवम् । बभञ्ज च रथं तस्य जघान किल सारथिम्

vegena muṣṭinā kālī tamadṛṣṭvā ca dānavam babhañja ca rathaṁ tasya jaghāna kila sārathim

Unable to see the danava, Kali struck out swiftly with her fist, shattering his chariot and slaying his charioteer.

Verse 26 (shiva.rudra.176.26)

अथागत्य द्रुतं मायी चक्रं चिक्षेप वेगतः । भद्रकाल्यै शङ्खचूडः प्रलयाग्निशिखोपमम्

athāgatya drutaṁ māyī cakraṁ cikṣepa vegataḥ bhadrakālyai śaṅkhacūḍaḥ pralayāgniśikhopamam

Then that master of illusion, Shankhachuda, swiftly reappearing, hurled a discus at Bhadrakali, blazing like the very flame of dissolution's fire.

Verse 27 (shiva.rudra.176.27)

सा देवी तं तदा चक्रं वामहस्तेन लीलया । जग्राह स्वमुखेनैवाहारं चक्रे रुषा द्रुतम्

sā devī taṁ tadā cakraṁ vāmahastena līlayā jagrāha svamukhenaivāhāraṁ cakre ruṣā drutam

The goddess playfully caught that discus with her left hand, and, in fury, swiftly devoured it with her own mouth.

Verse 28 (shiva.rudra.176.28)

मुष्ट्या जघान तं देवी महाकोपेन वेगतः । बभ्राम दानवेन्द्रोऽपि क्षणं मूर्च्छामवाप सः

muṣṭyā jaghāna taṁ devī mahākopena vegataḥ babhrāma dānavendro'pi kṣaṇaṁ mūrcchāmavāpa saḥ

The goddess, in towering fury, swiftly struck him with her fist; the lord of danavas reeled and, for a moment, fell into a swoon.

Verse 29 (shiva.rudra.176.29)

क्षणेन चेतनां प्राप्य स चोत्तस्थौ प्रतापवान् । न चक्रे बाहु युद्धं च मातृबुद्ध्या तया सह

kṣaṇena cetanāṁ prāpya sa cottasthau pratāpavān na cakre bāhu yuddhaṁ ca mātṛbuddhyā tayā saha

In an instant regaining consciousness, that mighty one rose up; but, regarding her as a mother, he would not engage her in hand-to-hand combat.

Verse 30 (shiva.rudra.176.30)

गृहीत्वा दानवं देवी भ्रामयित्वा पुनः पुनः । ऊर्ध्वं च प्रापयामास महाकोपेन वेगतः

gṛhītvā dānavaṁ devī bhrāmayitvā punaḥ punaḥ ūrdhvaṁ ca prāpayāmāsa mahākopena vegataḥ

The goddess, in great fury, seized the danava, whirled him round and round, and swiftly hurled him high into the air.

Verse 31 (shiva.rudra.176.31)

उत्पपात च वेगेन शङ्खचूडः प्रतापवान् । निपत्य च समुत्तस्थो प्रणम्य भद्रकालिकाम्

utpapāta ca vegena śaṅkhacūḍaḥ pratāpavān nipatya ca samuttastho praṇamya bhadrakālikām

The mighty Shankhachuda was flung swiftly up into the air; and having fallen and risen again, he bowed before Bhadrakalika.

Verse 32 (shiva.rudra.176.32)

रत्नेन्द्रसारनिर्माणविमानं सुमनोहरम् । आरुरोह स हृष्टात्मा न भ्रान्तोऽपि महारणे

ratnendrasāranirmāṇavimānaṁ sumanoharam āruroha sa hṛṣṭātmā na bhrānto'pi mahāraṇe

He mounted that most lovely chariot fashioned from the finest gems, his heart still joyful, and quite undaunted even by that great battle.

Verse 33 (shiva.rudra.176.33)

दानवानां हि क्षतजं सा पपौ कालिका क्षुधा । एतस्मिन्नन्तरे तत्र वाग्बभूवाशरीरिणी

dānavānāṁ hi kṣatajaṁ sā papau kālikā kṣudhā etasminnantare tatra vāgbabhūvāśarīriṇī

Kalika, still hungry, went on drinking the blood of the danavas; and meanwhile a bodiless voice arose there.

Verse 34 (shiva.rudra.176.34)

लक्षं च दानवेन्द्राणामवशिष्टं रणेऽधुना । उद्धतं गुञ्जतां सार्द्धं ततस्त्वं भुङ्क्ष्व चेश्वरि

lakṣaṁ ca dānavendrāṇāmavaśiṣṭaṁ raṇe'dhunā uddhataṁ guñjatāṁ sārddhaṁ tatastvaṁ bhuṅkṣva ceśvari

"A hundred thousand danava lords still remain now upon the battlefield, proud and clamoring together — feast upon them, O Ishvari."

Verse 35 (shiva.rudra.176.35)

सङ्ग्रामे दानवेन्द्रं च हन्तुं न कुरु मानसम् । अवध्योऽयं शङ्खचूडस्तव देवीति निश्चयम्

saṅgrāme dānavendraṁ ca hantuṁ na kuru mānasam avadhyo'yaṁ śaṅkhacūḍastava devīti niścayam

"But set not your mind on slaying the lord of the danavas in this battle; know for certain, O goddess, that this Shankhachuda cannot be killed by you."

Verse 36 (shiva.rudra.176.36)

तच्छुत्वा वचनं देवी निःसृतं व्योममण्डलात् । दानवानां बहूनां च मांसं च रुधिरं तथा

tacchutvā vacanaṁ devī niḥsṛtaṁ vyomamaṇḍalāt dānavānāṁ bahūnāṁ ca māṁsaṁ ca rudhiraṁ tathā

Hearing that word issuing from the vault of the sky, the goddess went on to feast on the flesh and blood of many danavas.

Verse 37 (shiva.rudra.176.37)

भुक्त्वा पीत्वा भद्रकाली शङ्करान्तिकमाययौ । उवाच रणवृत्तान्तं पौर्वापर्येण सक्रमम्

bhuktvā pītvā bhadrakālī śaṅkarāntikamāyayau uvāca raṇavṛttāntaṁ paurvāparyeṇa sakramam

Having eaten and drunk her fill, Bhadrakali came into Shankara's presence, and recounted the events of the battle in due order, from beginning to end.