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Part of: श्रीदुर्गासप्तशती

षष्ठोऽध्यायः · शुम्भनिशुम्भसेनानीधूम्रलोचनवध

Chapter 6 · The slaying of Dhumralochana, general of Shumbha and Nishumbha

Durga Saptashati, chapter 6: Dhumralochana is slain

26 verses Audio will be added later

About this stotra

Dhumralochana-vadha, the slaying of Dhumralochana, is the sixth chapter of the Durga Saptashati, the Devi Mahatmya of the Markandeya Purana. Its closing colophon places the story within the Savarni Manvantara section of that Purana. By tradition, chapters 5 to 13 form the final episode (uttama carita), and this is its second chapter.

In chapter 5, Shumbha's messenger came to the Devi with a proposal of marriage. She answered that she would marry only the one who defeats her in battle. This chapter opens as the messenger goes back in a rage. Shumbha sends Dhumralochana with sixty thousand asuras. Dhumralochana rushes at the Devi, and she burns him to ash with the single sound 'hum'. Her lion then tears through the whole army. At the end, Shumbha, furious, orders Chanda and Munda to seize her and bring her back.

How the chapter is laid out

It opens with a meditation verse on the goddess Padmavati. Then come 24 numbered mantras in the Gita Press count: four 'said' lines and 20 verses, followed by the colophon. The references shown here (6.1, 6.2 …) follow the Gita Press edition.

If you are reading it for the first time

This is a short chapter, so there is no need to hurry. Recite one half-verse, pause briefly, then the next. Reading the meanings once beforehand helps you keep the story in mind. A few words need care:

  • धूम्रलोचन: say mr as one cluster; don't break it into 'dhoo-mar'.
  • षष्ट्या: both are the retroflex ṣ, not 'sh'.
  • हुंकारेणैव: let the nasal ṃ be clearly heard.
  • कृत्स्नं, बद्ध्वा: take the clusters slowly and say each one in full.

The meaning on this page was written by our team directly from the Sanskrit. Whether a scholar has reviewed it is shown on the page.

ॐ नागाधीश्वरविष्टरां फणिफणोत्तंसोरुरत्नावलीभास्वद्देहलतां दिवाकरनिभां नेत्रत्रयोद्भासिताम्। मालाकुम्भकपालनीरजकरां चन्द्रार्धचूडां परां सर्वज्ञेश्वरभैरवाङ्कनिलयां पद्मावतीं चिन्तये॥

oṃ nāgādhīśvaraviṣṭarāṃ phaṇiphaṇottaṃsoruratnāvalībhāsvaddehalatāṃ divākaranibhāṃ netratrayodbhāsitām | mālākumbhakapālanīrajakarāṃ candrārdhacūḍāṃ parāṃ sarvajñeśvarabhairavāṅkanilayāṃ padmāvatīṃ cintaye ||

I meditate on the goddess Padmavati. The king of serpents is her seat. Serpent hoods rise over her head like a crown, and the great jewels on them light up her slender body. She is bright as the sun, and her three eyes shine. In her hands she holds a rosary, a water pot, a skull and a lotus. The half-moon is her crest. She is supreme, and she sits on the lap of Bhairava, the all-knowing Lord, that is, Shiva.

ॐ ऋषिरुवाच॥

oṃ ṛṣiruvāca ||

Om. The sage said:

इत्याकर्ण्य वचो देव्याः स दूतोऽमर्षपूरितः। समाचष्ट समागम्य दैत्यराजाय विस्तरात्॥

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

Hearing the Devi's words, the messenger was filled with indignation. He went back and told the king of the daityas everything in detail.

तस्य दूतस्य तद्वाक्यमाकर्ण्यासुरराट् ततः। सक्रोधः प्राह दैत्यानामधिपं धूम्रलोचनम्॥

tasya dūtasya tadvākyamākarṇyāsurarāṭ tataḥ | sakrodhaḥ prāha daityānāmadhipaṃ dhūmralocanam ||

When the king of the asuras heard the messenger's report, he grew angry. He then spoke to Dhumralochana, a chief among the daityas:

हे धूम्रलोचनाशु त्वं स्वसैन्यपरिवारितः। तामानय बलाद् दुष्टां केशाकर्षणविह्वलाम्॥

he dhūmralocanāśu tvaṃ svasainyaparivāritaḥ | tāmānaya balād duṣṭāṃ keśākarṣaṇavihvalām ||

“Dhumralochana, take your army and go at once. Bring that wicked woman here by force, dragging her by the hair until she is helpless.

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

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

If anyone else rises to protect her, kill him, whether he is a god, a yaksha or a gandharva.”

ऋषिरुवाच॥

ṛṣiruvāca ||

The sage said:

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

tenājñaptastataḥ śīghraṃ sa daityo dhūmralocanaḥ | vṛtaḥ ṣaṣṭyā sahasrāṇāmasurāṇāṃ drutaṃ yayau ||

So commanded, the daitya Dhumralochana set out at once with sixty thousand asuras.

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

sa dṛṣṭvā tāṃ tato devīṃ tuhinācalasaṃsthitām | jagādoccaiḥ prayāhīti mūlaṃ śumbhaniśumbhayoḥ ||

He saw the Devi seated on the snowy Himalaya and shouted, “Come with me to Shumbha and Nishumbha.

न चेत्प्रीत्याद्य भवती मद्भर्तारमुपैष्यति। ततो बलान्नयाम्येष केशाकर्षणविह्वलाम्॥

na cetprītyādya bhavatī madbhartāramupaiṣyati | tato balānnayāmyeṣa keśākarṣaṇavihvalām ||

If you do not come to my master willingly today, I will drag you there by the hair.”

देव्युवाच॥

devyuvāca ||

The Devi said:

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

daityeśvareṇa prahito balavān balasaṃvṛtaḥ | balānnayasi māmevaṃ tataḥ kiṃ te karomyaham ||

“The lord of the daityas has sent you. You are strong, and you have an army with you. If you take me by force like this, what can I do to you?”

ऋषिरुवाच॥

ṛṣiruvāca ||

The sage said:

इत्युक्तः सोऽभ्यधावत्तामसुरो धूम्रलोचनः। हुंकारेणैव तं भस्म सा चकाराम्बिका ततः॥

ityuktaḥ so'bhyadhāvattāmasuro dhūmralocanaḥ | huṃkāreṇaiva taṃ bhasma sā cakārāmbikā tataḥ ||

At these words the asura Dhumralochana rushed at her. Then Ambika burned him to ashes with nothing more than the sound “hum”.

अथ क्रुद्धं महासैन्यमसुराणां तथाम्बिका। ववर्ष सायकैस्तीक्ष्णैस्तथा शक्तिपरश्वधैः॥

atha kruddhaṃ mahāsainyamasurāṇāṃ tathāmbikā | vavarṣa sāyakaistīkṣṇaistathā śaktiparaśvadhaiḥ ||

Then Ambika rained sharp arrows, spears and axes on the great, enraged army of the asuras.

ततो धुतसटः कोपात्कृत्वा नादं सुभैरवम्। पपातासुरसेनायां सिंहो देव्याः स्ववाहनः॥

tato dhutasaṭaḥ kopātkṛtvā nādaṃ subhairavam | papātāsurasenāyāṃ siṃho devyāḥ svavāhanaḥ ||

Then the lion, the Devi's own mount, shook its mane in fury, let out a terrifying roar and fell upon the asura army.

कांश्चित् करप्रहारेण दैत्यानास्येन चापरान्। आक्रम्य चाधरेणान्यान् स जघान महासुरान्॥

kāṃścit karaprahāreṇa daityānāsyena cāparān | ākramya cādhareṇānyān sa jaghāna mahāsurān ||

He killed some daityas with blows of his paws and others with his jaws. Still other great asuras he leapt on and crushed with his lower jaw.

केषांचित्पाटयामास नखैः कोष्ठानि केसरी। तथा तलप्रहारेण शिरांसि कृतवान् पृथक्॥

keṣāṃcitpāṭayāmāsa nakhaiḥ koṣṭhāni kesarī | tathā talaprahāreṇa śirāṃsi kṛtavān pṛthak ||

With his claws the lion ripped open the bellies of some, and with a swipe of his paw he struck the heads off others.

विच्छिन्नबाहुशिरसः कृतास्तेन तथापरे। पपौ च रुधिरं कोष्ठादन्येषां धुतकेसरः॥

vicchinnabāhuśirasaḥ kṛtāstena tathāpare | papau ca rudhiraṃ koṣṭhādanyeṣāṃ dhutakesaraḥ ||

He tore the arms and heads off others. Shaking his mane, he drank blood from the bellies of still others.

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

kṣaṇena tadbalaṃ sarvaṃ kṣayaṃ nītaṃ mahātmanā | tena kesariṇā devyā vāhanenātikopinā ||

In a moment that great-hearted lion, the Devi's furious mount, destroyed the whole army.

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

śrutvā tamasuraṃ devyā nihataṃ dhūmralocanam | balaṃ ca kṣayitaṃ kṛtsnaṃ devīkesariṇā tataḥ ||

When he heard that the Devi had slain the asura Dhumralochana, and that her lion had wiped out his entire army…

चुकोप दैत्याधिपतिः शुम्भः प्रस्फुरिताधरः। आज्ञापयामास च तौ चण्डमुण्डौ महासुरौ॥

cukopa daityādhipatiḥ śumbhaḥ prasphuritādharaḥ | ājñāpayāmāsa ca tau caṇḍamuṇḍau mahāsurau ||

…Shumbha, lord of the daityas, flew into a rage, his lip trembling. He gave an order to the two great asuras Chanda and Munda:

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

he caṇḍa he muṇḍa balairbahubhiḥ parivāritau | tatra gacchata gatvā ca sā samānīyatāṃ laghu ||

“Chanda, Munda, take a large army and go there. Once there, bring her back quickly.

केशेष्वाकृष्य बद्ध्वा वा यदि वः संशयो युधि। तदाशेषायुधैः सर्वैरसुरैर्विनिहन्यताम्॥

keśeṣvākṛṣya baddhvā vā yadi vaḥ saṃśayo yudhi | tadāśeṣāyudhaiḥ sarvairasurairvinihanyatām ||

Drag her by the hair or bind her. If you have any doubt about taking her in battle, then let all the asuras strike her down with every weapon they have.

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

tasyāṃ hatāyāṃ duṣṭāyāṃ siṃhe ca vinipātite | śīghramāgamyatāṃ baddhvā gṛhītvā tāmathāmbikām || oṃ ||

Once that wicked woman is struck down and the lion killed, bind Ambika, seize her and come back quickly.” Om.

॥ इतिश्रीमार्कण्डेयपुराणे सावर्णिके मन्वन्तरे देवीमाहात्म्ये शुम्भनिशुम्भसेनानीधूम्रलोचनवधो नाम षष्ठोऽध्यायः॥

|| itiśrīmārkaṇḍeyapurāṇe sāvarṇike manvantare devīmāhātmye śumbhaniśumbhasenānīdhūmralocanavadho nāma ṣaṣṭho'dhyāyaḥ ||

Here ends the sixth chapter, called ‘The Slaying of Dhumralochana, Commander of Shumbha and Nishumbha’, of the Devi Mahatmya, in the account of the Savarni Manvantara in the Shri Markandeya Purana.