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मराठीहिंदीEN

Part of: श्रीदुर्गासप्तशती

तृतीयोऽध्यायः · महिषासुरवध

Chapter 3 · The slaying of Mahishasura

Durga Saptashati, chapter 3: the Devi slays Mahishasura

46 verses Audio will be added later

Source: Gita Press, Chapter 3 Scholar review pending
About this stotra

The Durga Saptashati, or Devi Mahatmya, is a section of the Markandeya Purana, told within the account of the Savarni Manvantara. Tradition dedicates its middle episode to Mahalakshmi, and this third chapter is the second part of that episode. In chapter 2 the Devi destroyed Mahishasura's armies. Here she kills his generals and then Mahishasura himself.

What happens in this chapter

Seeing his army cut down, the commander Chikshura attacks with a storm of arrows. The Devi destroys his horses, charioteer, bow and banner, and her trident ends him. Chamara rides in on an elephant, and the Devi's lion leaps up and kills him. Udagra, Karala, Uddhata, Bashkala, Bidala and others fall in turn. At last Mahishasura comes in buffalo form, trampling her attendants and shaking earth and sea. Bound by her noose, he turns into a lion, then a man with a sword, then an elephant, and then a buffalo again. The Devi drinks, laughs and challenges him. She leaps onto him and pins him under her foot. He is caught halfway out of the buffalo's mouth, and she cuts off his head with her sword. Gods, seers, Gandharvas and Apsaras rejoice.

Structure

In the Gita Press edition the chapter has 44 mantras: three speaker lines (uvāca) and 41 verses. It opens with a meditation verse and closes with a colophon.

If you are reading it for the first time

  • The meditation verse is in a long metre. Pause at each half-line and keep it slow.
  • Take conjuncts such as द्भ in udyadbhānu and द्ध्य in yuddhyamānau without rushing.
  • Give the ङ्ग in śṛṅga and the anusvara in huṃkāra their full sound.
  • In साऽऽरूढा the avagraha only marks that sā and ārūḍhā are joined. It is not pronounced on its own.

The meanings on this page were written by our team directly from the Sanskrit. Their scholar review status is shown on the page.

ध्यानम्

ॐ उद्यद्भानुसहस्रकान्तिमरुणक्षौमां शिरोमालिकां रक्तालिप्तपयोधरां जपवटीं विद्यामभीतिं वरम्। हस्ताब्जैर्दधतीं त्रिनेत्रविलसद्वक्त्रारविन्दश्रियं देवीं बद्धहिमांशुरत्नमुकुटां वन्देऽरविन्दस्थिताम्॥

oṃ udyadbhānusahasrakāntimaruṇakṣaumāṃ śiromālikāṃ raktāliptapayodharāṃ japavaṭīṃ vidyāmabhītiṃ varam | hastābjairdadhatīṃ trinetravilasadvaktrāravindaśriyaṃ devīṃ baddhahimāṃśuratnamukuṭāṃ vande'ravindasthitām ||

I bow to the Devi seated on a lotus. Her glow is that of a thousand rising suns. She wears red silk and a garland of severed heads, and her breasts are smeared with blood. In her lotus hands she holds a rosary and a book of sacred knowledge, and she shows the gestures that grant fearlessness and boons. Her lotus face shines with three eyes, and the moon is set in her jewelled crown.

ॐ ऋषिरुवाच॥

oṃ ṛṣiruvāca ||

Om. The sage said:

verse 3.2

निहन्यमानं तत्सैन्यमवलोक्य महासुरः। सेनानीश्चिक्षुरः कोपाद्ययौ योद्धुमथाम्बिकाम्॥

nihanyamānaṃ tatsainyamavalokya mahāsuraḥ | senānīścikṣuraḥ kopādyayau yoddhumathāmbikām ||

Seeing his army being cut down, the great asura Chikshura, the commander, went forth in anger to fight Ambika.

verse 3.3

स देवीं शरवर्षेण ववर्ष समरेऽसुरः। यथा मेरुगिरेः शृङ्गं तोयवर्षेण तोयदः॥

sa devīṃ śaravarṣeṇa vavarṣa samare'suraḥ | yathā merugireḥ śṛṅgaṃ toyavarṣeṇa toyadaḥ ||

In the battle that asura poured a rain of arrows on the Devi, as a cloud pours rain on the peak of Mount Meru.

verse 3.4

तस्यच्छित्त्वा ततो देवी लीलयैव शरोत्करान्। जघान तुरगान् बाणैर्यन्तारं चैव वाजिनाम्॥

tasyacchittvā tato devī līlayaiva śarotkarān | jaghāna turagān bāṇairyantāraṃ caiva vājinām ||

The Devi cut through his volleys of arrows as if in play, and with her own arrows she killed his horses and the driver who held their reins.

verse 3.5

चिच्छेद च धनुः सद्यो ध्वजं चातिसमुच्छ्रितम्। विव्याध चैव गात्रेषु छिन्नधन्वानमाशुगैः॥

ciccheda ca dhanuḥ sadyo dhvajaṃ cātisamucchritam | vivyādha caiva gātreṣu chinnadhanvānamāśugaiḥ ||

At once she cut his bow and his towering banner. Then, his bow gone, she pierced his limbs with swift arrows.

verse 3.6

सच्छिन्नधन्वा विरथो हताश्वो हतसारथिः। अभ्यधावत तां देवीं खड्गचर्मधरोऽसुरः॥

sacchinnadhanvā viratho hatāśvo hatasārathiḥ | abhyadhāvata tāṃ devīṃ khaḍgacarmadharo'suraḥ ||

Bow cut, chariot lost, horses and charioteer slain, the asura rushed at the Devi with sword and shield.

verse 3.7

सिंहमाहत्य खड्गेन तीक्ष्णधारेण मूर्धनि। आजघान भुजे सव्ये देवीमप्यतिवेगवान्॥

siṃhamāhatya khaḍgena tīkṣṇadhāreṇa mūrdhani | ājaghāna bhuje savye devīmapyativegavān ||

Moving with great speed, he struck the lion on the head with his keen-edged sword, and struck the Devi too on her left arm.

verse 3.8

तस्याः खड्गो भुजं प्राप्य पफाल नृपनन्दन। ततो जग्राह शूलं स कोपादरुणलोचनः॥

tasyāḥ khaḍgo bhujaṃ prāpya paphāla nṛpanandana | tato jagrāha śūlaṃ sa kopādaruṇalocanaḥ ||

The sword shattered the moment it met her arm, O king. (The sage is speaking to King Suratha.) Then the asura, his eyes red with rage, seized a pike.

verse 3.9

चिक्षेप च ततस्तत्तु भद्रकाल्यां महासुरः। जाज्वल्यमानं तेजोभी रविबिम्बमिवाम्बरात्॥

cikṣepa ca tatastattu bhadrakālyāṃ mahāsuraḥ | jājvalyamānaṃ tejobhī ravibimbamivāmbarāt ||

The great asura hurled it at Bhadrakali. It blazed with light, like the disc of the sun falling from the sky.

verse 3.10

दृष्ट्वा तदापतच्छूलं देवी शूलममुञ्चत। तच्छूलं शतधा तेन नीतं स च महासुरः॥

dṛṣṭvā tadāpatacchūlaṃ devī śūlamamuñcata | tacchūlaṃ śatadhā tena nītaṃ sa ca mahāsuraḥ ||

Seeing the pike flying at her, the Devi let fly her own trident. It broke his pike into a hundred pieces, and the great asura with it.

verse 3.11

हते तस्मिन्महावीर्ये महिषस्य चमूपतौ। आजगाम गजारूढश्चामरस्त्रिदशार्दनः॥

hate tasminmahāvīrye mahiṣasya camūpatau | ājagāma gajārūḍhaścāmarastridaśārdanaḥ ||

When Mahisha's mighty commander had fallen, Chamara, the scourge of the gods, came forward riding an elephant.

verse 3.12

सोऽपि शक्तिं मुमोचाथ देव्यास्तामम्बिका द्रुतम्। हुंकाराभिहतां भूमौ पातयामास निष्प्रभाम्॥

so'pi śaktiṃ mumocātha devyāstāmambikā drutam | huṃkārābhihatāṃ bhūmau pātayāmāsa niṣprabhām ||

He too hurled a spear at the Devi. Ambika struck it down with a single cry of huṃ, and it fell to the ground at once, its glow gone.

verse 3.13

भग्नां शक्तिं निपतितां दृष्ट्वा क्रोधसमन्वितः। चिक्षेप चामरः शूलं बाणैस्तदपि साच्छिनत्॥

bhagnāṃ śaktiṃ nipatitāṃ dṛṣṭvā krodhasamanvitaḥ | cikṣepa cāmaraḥ śūlaṃ bāṇaistadapi sācchinat ||

Seeing his spear broken on the ground, Chamara, now furious, threw a pike. She cut that down too with her arrows.

verse 3.14

ततः सिंहः समुत्पत्य गजकुम्भान्तरे स्थितः। बाहुयुद्धेन युयुधे तेनोच्चैस्त्रिदशारिणा॥

tataḥ siṃhaḥ samutpatya gajakumbhāntare sthitaḥ | bāhuyuddhena yuyudhe tenoccaistridaśāriṇā ||

Then the lion leapt up and landed between the domes of the elephant's forehead. There he fought hand to hand, fiercely, with that enemy of the gods.

verse 3.15

युद्ध्यमानौ ततस्तौ तु तस्मान्नागान्महीं गतौ। युयुधातेऽतिसंरब्धौ प्रहारैरतिदारुणैः॥

yuddhyamānau tatastau tu tasmānnāgānmahīṃ gatau | yuyudhāte'tisaṃrabdhau prahārairatidāruṇaiḥ ||

Still fighting, the two of them came down from the elephant to the ground, and there they fought on in fury, trading terrible blows.

verse 3.16

ततो वेगात् खमुत्पत्य निपत्य च मृगारिणा। करप्रहारेण शिरश्चामरस्य पृथक्कृतम्॥

tato vegāt khamutpatya nipatya ca mṛgāriṇā | karaprahāreṇa śiraścāmarasya pṛthakkṛtam ||

Then the lion sprang swiftly into the air and, dropping down, struck Chamara's head from his body with a blow of his paw.

verse 3.17

उदग्रश्च रणे देव्या शिलावृक्षादिभिर्हतः। दन्तमुष्टितलैश्चैव करालश्च निपातितः॥

udagraśca raṇe devyā śilāvṛkṣādibhirhataḥ | dantamuṣṭitalaiścaiva karālaśca nipātitaḥ ||

On the field the Devi killed Udagra with rocks, trees and the like. Karala too she felled, with her teeth, her fists and the flat of her hand.

verse 3.18

देवी क्रुद्धा गदापातैश्चूर्णयामास चोद्धतम्। वाष्कलं भिन्दिपालेन बाणैस्ताम्रं तथान्धकम्॥

devī kruddhā gadāpātaiścūrṇayāmāsa coddhatam | vāṣkalaṃ bhindipālena bāṇaistāmraṃ tathāndhakam ||

In her anger the Devi pounded Uddhata to dust with blows of her mace. She killed Bashkala with a bhindipala dart, and Tamra and Andhaka with arrows.

verse 3.19

उग्रास्यमुग्रवीर्यं च तथैव च महाहनुम्। त्रिनेत्रा च त्रिशूलेन जघान परमेश्वरी॥

ugrāsyamugravīryaṃ ca tathaiva ca mahāhanum | trinetrā ca triśūlena jaghāna parameśvarī ||

The three-eyed supreme goddess slew Ugrasya, Ugravirya and Mahahanu with her trident.

verse 3.20

बिडालस्यासिना कायात्पातयामास वै शिरः। दुर्धरं दुर्मुखं चोभौ शरैर्निन्ये यमक्षयम्॥

biḍālasyāsinā kāyātpātayāmāsa vai śiraḥ | durdharaṃ durmukhaṃ cobhau śarairninye yamakṣayam ||

With her sword she struck Bidala's head from his body. Durdhara and Durmukha she sent with her arrows to the house of Yama.

verse 3.21

एवं संक्षीयमाणे तु स्वसैन्ये महिषासुरः। माहिषेण स्वरूपेण त्रासयामास तान् गणान्॥

evaṃ saṃkṣīyamāṇe tu svasainye mahiṣāsuraḥ | māhiṣeṇa svarūpeṇa trāsayāmāsa tān gaṇān ||

As his army was being wiped out in this way, Mahishasura, in his own buffalo form, began to terrify the Devi's ganas.

verse 3.22

कांश्चित्तुण्डप्रहारेण खुरक्षेपैस्तथापरान्। लाङ्गूलताडितांश्चान्याञ्छृङ्गाभ्यां च विदारितान्॥

kāṃścittuṇḍaprahāreṇa khurakṣepaistathāparān | lāṅgūlatāḍitāṃścānyāñchṛṅgābhyāṃ ca vidāritān ||

Some he struck with his muzzle, others he kicked with his hooves, others he lashed with his tail, and others he gored with his horns.

verse 3.23

वेगेन कांश्चिदपरान्नादेन भ्रमणेन च। निःश्वासपवनेनान्यान् पातयामास भूतले॥

vegena kāṃścidaparānnādena bhramaṇena ca | niḥśvāsapavanenānyān pātayāmāsa bhūtale ||

Some he knocked down with the force of his charge, others with his bellowing and his whirling about, and others with the blast of his breath. So he laid them on the ground.

verse 3.24

निपात्य प्रमथानीकमभ्यधावत सोऽसुरः। सिंहं हन्तुं महादेव्याः कोपं चक्रे ततोऽम्बिका॥

nipātya pramathānīkamabhyadhāvata so'suraḥ | siṃhaṃ hantuṃ mahādevyāḥ kopaṃ cakre tato'mbikā ||

Having flattened the ranks of her attendants, the asura charged at the great Devi's lion to kill it. At this Ambika grew angry.

verse 3.25

सोऽपि कोपान्महावीर्यः खुरक्षुण्णमहीतलः। शृङ्गाभ्यां पर्वतानुच्चांश्चिक्षेप च ननाद च॥

so'pi kopānmahāvīryaḥ khurakṣuṇṇamahītalaḥ | śṛṅgābhyāṃ parvatānuccāṃścikṣepa ca nanāda ca ||

The mighty asura too, in his rage, pounded the earth with his hooves. He tossed high mountains with his horns and bellowed.

verse 3.26

वेगभ्रमणविक्षुण्णा मही तस्य व्यशीर्यत। लाङ्गूलेनाहतश्चाब्धिः प्लावयामास सर्वतः॥

vegabhramaṇavikṣuṇṇā mahī tasya vyaśīryata | lāṅgūlenāhataścābdhiḥ plāvayāmāsa sarvataḥ ||

Trampled by his charging and wheeling, the earth began to crack apart. Struck by his tail, the ocean flooded over on every side.

verse 3.27

धुतशृङ्गविभिन्नाश्च खण्डं खण्डं ययुर्घनाः। श्वासानिलास्ताः शतशो निपेतुर्नभसोऽचलाः॥

dhutaśṛṅgavibhinnāśca khaṇḍaṃ khaṇḍaṃ yayurghanāḥ | śvāsānilāstāḥ śataśo nipeturnabhaso'calāḥ ||

As he tossed his horns, the clouds were torn to shreds. Mountains flung up by the gale of his breath came crashing down from the sky by the hundred.

verse 3.28

इति क्रोधसमाध्मातमापतन्तं महासुरम्। दृष्ट्वा सा चण्डिका कोपं तद्वधाय तदाकरोत्॥

iti krodhasamādhmātamāpatantaṃ mahāsuram | dṛṣṭvā sā caṇḍikā kopaṃ tadvadhāya tadākarot ||

Seeing the great asura bearing down on her, swollen with rage, Chandika let her own anger rise to destroy him.

verse 3.29

सा क्षिप्त्वा तस्य वै पाशं तं बबन्ध महासुरम्। तत्याज माहिषं रूपं सोऽपि बद्धो महामृधे॥

sā kṣiptvā tasya vai pāśaṃ taṃ babandha mahāsuram | tatyāja māhiṣaṃ rūpaṃ so'pi baddho mahāmṛdhe ||

She cast her noose over him and bound the great asura. Caught fast in that great battle, he gave up his buffalo form.

verse 3.30

ततः सिंहोऽभवत्सद्यो यावत्तस्याम्बिका शिरः। छिनत्ति तावत्पुरुषः खड्गपाणिरदृश्यत॥

tataḥ siṃho'bhavatsadyo yāvattasyāmbikā śiraḥ | chinatti tāvatpuruṣaḥ khaḍgapāṇiradṛśyata ||

At once he became a lion. Just as Ambika was cutting off its head, he appeared instead as a man with a sword in his hand.

verse 3.31

तत एवाशु पुरुषं देवी चिच्छेद सायकैः। तं खड्गचर्मणा सार्धं ततः सोऽभून्महागजः॥

tata evāśu puruṣaṃ devī ciccheda sāyakaiḥ | taṃ khaḍgacarmaṇā sārdhaṃ tataḥ so'bhūnmahāgajaḥ ||

Swiftly the Devi cut down that man with her arrows, sword, shield and all. Then he became a huge elephant.

verse 3.32

करेण च महासिंहं तं चकर्ष जगर्ज च। कर्षतस्तु करं देवी खड्गेन निरकृन्तत॥

kareṇa ca mahāsiṃhaṃ taṃ cakarṣa jagarja ca | karṣatastu karaṃ devī khaḍgena nirakṛntata ||

With his trunk he dragged at her great lion and trumpeted. As he dragged, the Devi sliced off his trunk with her sword.

verse 3.33

ततो महासुरो भूयो माहिषं वपुरास्थितः। तथैव क्षोभयामास त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम्॥

tato mahāsuro bhūyo māhiṣaṃ vapurāsthitaḥ | tathaiva kṣobhayāmāsa trailokyaṃ sacarācaram ||

Then the great asura took on his buffalo body once more, and as before he threw the three worlds, with all that moves and all that is still, into turmoil.

verse 3.34

ततः क्रुद्धा जगन्माता चण्डिका पानमुत्तमम्। पपौ पुनः पुनश्चैव जहासारुणलोचना॥

tataḥ kruddhā jaganmātā caṇḍikā pānamuttamam | papau punaḥ punaścaiva jahāsāruṇalocanā ||

Then Chandika, Mother of the world, now angry, drank again and again of the finest drink, and laughed, her eyes turning red.

verse 3.35

ननर्द चासुरः सोऽपि बलवीर्यमदोद्धतः। विषाणाभ्यां च चिक्षेप चण्डिकां प्रति भूधरान्॥

nanarda cāsuraḥ so'pi balavīryamadoddhataḥ | viṣāṇābhyāṃ ca cikṣepa caṇḍikāṃ prati bhūdharān ||

The asura too, drunk on pride in his strength and valour, bellowed, and with his horns he hurled mountains at Chandika.

verse 3.36

सा च तान् प्रहितांस्तेन चूर्णयन्ती शरोत्करैः। उवाच तं मदोद्धूतमुखरागाकुलाक्षरम्॥

sā ca tān prahitāṃstena cūrṇayantī śarotkaraiḥ | uvāca taṃ madoddhūtamukharāgākulākṣaram ||

Grinding to dust with her volleys of arrows the mountains he threw, she spoke to him, her face flushed with the drink and her words slurring.

देव्युवाच॥

devyuvāca ||

The Devi said:

verse 3.38

गर्ज गर्ज क्षणं मूढ मधु यावत्पिबाम्यहम्। मया त्वयि हतेऽत्रैव गर्जिष्यन्त्याशु देवताः॥

garja garja kṣaṇaṃ mūḍha madhu yāvatpibāmyaham | mayā tvayi hate'traiva garjiṣyantyāśu devatāḥ ||

Roar, you fool, roar for a moment, while I drink this wine. Once I have slain you right here, it is the gods who will soon be roaring.

ऋषिरुवाच॥

ṛṣiruvāca ||

The sage said:

verse 3.40

एवमुक्त्वा समुत्पत्य साऽऽरूढा तं महासुरम्। पादेनाक्रम्य कण्ठे च शूलेनैनमताडयत्॥

evamuktvā samutpatya sā''rūḍhā taṃ mahāsuram | pādenākramya kaṇṭhe ca śūlenainamatāḍayat ||

Saying this, she leapt up and mounted the great asura. Pinning his neck under her foot, she struck him with her trident.

verse 3.41

ततः सोऽपि पदाऽऽक्रान्तस्तया निजमुखात्ततः। अर्धनिष्क्रान्त एवासीद् देव्या वीर्येण संवृतः॥

tataḥ so'pi padā''krāntastayā nijamukhāttataḥ | ardhaniṣkrānta evāsīd devyā vīryeṇa saṃvṛtaḥ ||

Pressed down under her foot, he began to come out through his own buffalo mouth. But the Devi's power held him fast, and he got only halfway out.

verse 3.42

अर्धनिष्क्रान्त एवासौ युध्यमानो महासुरः। तया महासिना देव्या शिरश्छित्त्वा निपातितः॥

ardhaniṣkrānta evāsau yudhyamāno mahāsuraḥ | tayā mahāsinā devyā śiraśchittvā nipātitaḥ ||

Half emerged, the great asura fought on. Then the Devi cut off his head with her great sword and struck him down.

verse 3.43

ततो हाहाकृतं सर्वं दैत्यसैन्यं ननाश तत्। प्रहर्षं च परं जग्मुः सकला देवतागणाः॥

tato hāhākṛtaṃ sarvaṃ daityasainyaṃ nanāśa tat | praharṣaṃ ca paraṃ jagmuḥ sakalā devatāgaṇāḥ ||

Then the whole daitya army, crying out in dismay, was destroyed, and all the hosts of the gods were overjoyed.

verse 3.44

तुष्टुवुस्तां सुरा देवीं सह दिव्यैर्महर्षिभिः। जगुर्गन्धर्वपतयो ननृतुश्चाप्सरोगणाः॥ ॐ॥

tuṣṭuvustāṃ surā devīṃ saha divyairmaharṣibhiḥ | jagurgandharvapatayo nanṛtuścāpsarogaṇāḥ || oṃ ||

The gods, together with the divine great seers, praised the Devi. The lords of the Gandharvas sang, and the troupes of Apsaras danced. Om.

पुष्पिका

॥ इति श्रीमार्कण्डेयपुराणे सावर्णिके मन्वन्तरे देवीमाहात्म्ये महिषासुरवधो नाम तृतीयोऽध्यायः॥

|| iti śrīmārkaṇḍeyapurāṇe sāvarṇike manvantare devīmāhātmye mahiṣāsuravadho nāma tṛtīyo'dhyāyaḥ ||

Here ends the third chapter, called ‘The Slaying of Mahishasura’, of the Devi Mahatmya, in the account of the Savarni Manvantara in the Shri Markandeya Purana.