Chapter 6 of the Devi Mahatmya has 20 verses in the Markandeya Purana numbering (chapter 86 of the Purana). It is one of the shortest chapters in the book, and nothing in it is spent on hymns or speeches. It is the first fight of the last episode (the uttara charita), and it is quickly done.
The sage Medhas is still telling the story to King Suratha and the merchant Samadhi. In chapter 5 the goddess answered Shumbha’s messenger with her vow, and the messenger went back. This chapter opens with his report.
What happens in this chapter
The messenger tells Shumbha exactly what the goddess said, and Shumbha loses his temper (verses 1 and 2). He orders his general Dhumralochana, whose name means the one with smoke-coloured eyes, to take sixty thousand demons, bring the goddess by force, dragged by her hair, and kill anyone who tries to protect her, whether god, Yaksha or Gandharva (verses 3 to 5).
Dhumralochana arrives, sees the goddess standing on the snowy mountain and shouts that she should go to Shumbha and Nishumbha willingly, or he will drag her there (verses 6 and 7). Her answer is the briefest speech in the chapter. He is the strong one, sent by the lord of the demons, with an army. If he takes her by force, what can she do about it? (verse 8). As he runs at her she says nothing more. Ambika turns him to ash with the sound hum (verse 9).
The demon army attacks, and the goddess showers it with arrows, spears and axes. Her lion then leaps into the army, roaring, tearing and trampling, and drinks the blood of some of the fallen (verses 10 to 15). When Shumbha hears that Dhumralochana is dead and his army destroyed by the goddess’s lion, he is furious again, and sends Chanda and Munda, two more great demons, with a larger force and the same order as before: bring her by the hair, or kill her and her lion first (verses 16 to 20).
How the chapter is built
The chapter is only a hinge. It has the same shape as the fights in chapters 2 and 3, only much shorter: a commander is sent, a challenge is made, the commander dies, the army is destroyed, and a bigger commander is sent. The chapter makes the pattern clear, and it gives chapters 7 to 10 their structure. Each commander is stronger than the last, and each one falls more quickly than his predecessor expects.
Two details are worth noticing. The first is that the goddess does not use a weapon on Dhumralochana. She destroys him with a sound, which the Sanskrit gives as hunkara. The word is a syllable of power that is also used in mantras, and the text uses it to show how little effort the act takes. The second is that her lion is the one that destroys the army. In this episode the lion fights as a full character, which it also does in chapters 2 and 3, and the text calls the lion “great-souled” in verse 15.
How to read it
For readers who come to the Devi Mahatmya for its devotion, a short chapter like this one is a good pause between the long hymn of chapter 5 and the fighting that follows. For readers who come for the story, it is the point where the war properly begins, since the first army has been sent and destroyed.
You may notice that Shumbha’s orders have the same words in verses 3 and 7: the goddess is to be dragged by her hair and be helpless. The text repeats this on purpose. It shows that the demons cannot imagine her except as someone they can seize.
This page gives each verse in Devanagari with a plain transliteration and a meaning in our own words.
The text, transliteration and meaning
इत्याकर्ण्य वचो देव्याः स दूतोऽमर्षपूरितः
समाचष्ट समागम्य दैत्यराजाय विस्तरात् ॥ ६.१ ॥
Ityakarnya vacho devyah sa duto'marshapuritah
Samachashta samagamya daityarajaya vistarat
MeaningThe sage says: Hearing the goddess's words, the messenger, full of indignation, went back and told the king of the demons everything in detail.
तस्य दूतस्य तद्वाक्यमाकर्ण्यासुरराट् ततः
सक्रोधः प्राह दैत्यानामधिपं धूम्रलोचनम् ॥ ६.२ ॥
Tasya dutasya tadvakyamakarnyasurarat tatah
Sakrodhah praha daityanamadhipam dhumralochanam
MeaningHearing the messenger's report, the king of the demons grew angry and said to Dhumralochana, the leader of the demons:
हे धूम्रलोचनाशु त्वं स्वसैन्यपरिवारितः
तामानय बलाद् दुष्टां केशाकर्षणविह्वलाम् ॥ ६.३ ॥
He dhumralochanashu tvam svasainyaparivaritah
Tamanaya balad dushtam keshakarshanavihvalam
MeaningDhumralochana, go quickly with your own army around you and bring that wicked woman here by force, dragged by her hair and helpless.
तत्परित्राणदः कश्चिद्यदि वोत्तिष्ठतेऽपरः
स हन्तव्योऽमरो वापि यक्षो गन्धर्व एव वा ॥ ६.४ ॥
Tatparitranadah kashchidyadi vottishthate'parah
Sa hantavyo'maro vapi yaksho gandharva eva va
MeaningAnd if anyone else rises up to protect her, he is to be killed, whether he is a god, a Yaksha or a Gandharva.
तेनाज्ञप्तस्ततः शीघ्रं स दैत्यो धूम्रलोचनः
वृतः षष्ट्या सहस्राणामसुराणां द्रुतं ययौ ॥ ६.५ ॥
Tenajnaptastatah shighram sa daityo dhumralochanah
Vritah shashtya sahasranamasuranam drutam yayau
MeaningSo commanded, the demon Dhumralochana went quickly, surrounded by sixty thousand demons.
स दृष्ट्वा तां ततो देवीं तुहिनाचलसंस्थिताम्
जगादोच्चैः प्रयाहीति मूलं शुम्भनिशुम्भयोः ॥ ६.६ ॥
Sa drishtva tam tato devim tuhinachalasamsthitam
Jagadochchaih prayahiti mulam shumbhanishumbhayoh
MeaningWhen he saw the goddess standing on the snowy mountain, he called out loudly: Come to Shumbha and Nishumbha, the two lords of the world.
न चेत्प्रीत्याद्य भवती मद्भर्तारमुपैष्यति
ततो बलान्नयाम्येष केशाकर्षणविह्वलाम् ॥ ६.७ ॥
Na chetprityadya bhavati madbhartaramupaishyati
Tato balannayamyesha keshakarshanavihvalam
MeaningIf you do not come gladly to my master today, I will take you by force, dragged by your hair and helpless.
दैत्येश्वरेण प्रहितो बलवान् बलसंवृतः
बलान्नयसि मामेवं ततः किं ते करोम्यहम् ॥ ६.८ ॥
Daityeshvarena prahito balavan balasamvritah
Balannayasi mamevam tatah kim te karomyaham
MeaningThe goddess says: You were sent by the lord of the demons, you are strong, and you have an army. If you take me by force like this, what can I do to you?
इत्युक्तः सोऽभ्यधावत्तामसुरो धूम्रलोचनः
हुङ्कारेणैव तं भस्म सा चकाराम्बिका तदा ॥ ६.९ ॥
Ityuktah so'bhyadhavattamasuro dhumralochanah
Hunkarenaiva tam bhasma sa chakarambika tada
MeaningThe sage says: Hearing this, the demon Dhumralochana rushed at her. Ambika, with a single sound, hum, turned him to ash.
NoteThe goddess destroys Dhumralochana with a sound, hum. In mantra the syllable is a sound of power, and the text uses it to show how little effort the act takes.
अथ क्रुद्धं महासैन्यमसुराणां तथाम्बिका
ववर्ष सायकैस्तीक्ष्णैस्तथा शक्तिपरश्वधैः ॥ ६.१० ॥
Atha kruddham mahasainyamasuranam tathambika
Vavarsha sayakaistikshnaistatha shaktiparashvadhaih
MeaningThen the great army of demons, now angry, was showered by Ambika with sharp arrows, spears and axes.
ततो धुतसटः कोपात् कृत्वा नादं सुभैरवम्
पपातासुरसेनायां सिंहो देव्याः स्ववाहनः ॥ ६.११ ॥
Tato dhutasatah kopat kritva nadam subhairavam
Papatasurasenayam simho devyah svavahanah
MeaningThen the goddess's mount, the lion, with his mane tossed, roared a most fearful roar in his rage and fell upon the demon army.
कांश्चित् करप्रहारेण दैत्यानास्येन चापरान्
आक्रम्य चाधरेणान्यान् स जघान महासुरान् ॥ ६.१२ ॥
Kamshchit karapraharena daityanasyena chaparan
Akramya chadharenanyan sa jaghana mahasuran
MeaningSome demons he killed with a blow of his paw, others with his mouth, and others by crushing them beneath his lower body.
केषाञ्चित् पाटयामास नखैः कोष्ठानि केसरी
तथा तलप्रहारेण शिरांसि कृतवान् पृथक् ॥ ६.१३ ॥
Keshanchit patayamasa nakhaih koshthani kesari
Tatha talapraharena shiramsi kritavan prithak
MeaningThe lion tore open the bellies of some with his claws, and with blows of his paw he severed the heads of others.
विच्छिन्नबाहुशिरसः कृतास्तेन तथापरे
पपौ च रुधिरं कोष्ठादन्येषां धुतकेसरः ॥ ६.१४ ॥
Vichchhinnabahushirasah kritastena tathapare
Papau cha rudhiram koshthadanyesham dhutakesarah
MeaningOthers he left with arms and heads cut off, and with his mane tossed he drank the blood from the bellies of still others.
क्षणेन तद्बलं सर्वं क्षयं नीतं महात्मना
तेन केसरिणा देव्या वाहनेनातिकोपिना ॥ ६.१५ ॥
Kshanena tadbalam sarvam kshayam nitam mahatmana
Tena kesarina devya vahanenatikopina
MeaningIn a moment the whole army was brought to an end by the great lion, the goddess's mount, in his anger.
श्रुत्वा तमसुरं देव्या निहतं धूम्रलोचनम्
बलं च क्षयितं कृत्स्नं देवीकेसरिणा ततः ॥ ६.१६ ॥
Shrutva tamasuram devya nihatam dhumralochanam
Balam cha kshayitam kritsnam devikesarina tatah
MeaningThen Shumbha, hearing that the demon Dhumralochana had been killed by the goddess, and that his whole army had been destroyed by the goddess's lion,
चुकोप दैत्याधिपतिः शुम्भः प्रस्फुरिताधरः
आज्ञापयामास च तौ चण्डमुण्डौ महासुरौ ॥ ६.१७ ॥
Chukopa daityadhipatih shumbhah prasphuritadharah
Ajnapayamasa cha tau chandamundau mahasurau
Meaningbecame angry. The king of the demons, his lip trembling, gave orders to the two great demons Chanda and Munda.
हे चण्ड हे मुण्ड बलैर्बहुभिः परिवारितौ
तत्र गच्छत गत्वा च सा समानीयतां लघु ॥ ६.१८ ॥
He chanda he munda balairbahubhih parivaritau
Tatra gachchhata gatva cha sa samaniyatam laghu
MeaningHe said: Chanda and Munda, go there with many troops around you, and when you get there, bring her here quickly.
केशेष्वाकृष्य बद्ध्वा वा यदि वः संशयो युधि
तदाशेषायुधैः सर्वैरसुरैर्विनिहन्यताम् ॥ ६.१९ ॥
Kesheshvakrishya baddhva va yadi vah samshayo yudhi
Tadasheshayudhaih sarvairasurairvinihanyatam
MeaningDrag her by the hair, bind her, or if you have any doubt about the fight, kill her with all your weapons together with all the demons.
NoteShumbha's orders to Chanda and Munda are almost the same as his orders to Dhumralochana: drag her by the hair, or kill her. The text repeats the demand on purpose.
तस्यां हतायां दुष्टायां सिंहे च विनिपातिते
शीघ्रमागम्यतां बद्ध्वा गृहीत्वा तामथाम्बिकाम् ॥ ६.२० ॥
Tasyam hatayam dushtayam simhe cha vinipatite
Shighramagamyatam baddhva grihitva tamathambikam
MeaningWhen that wicked woman is killed and her lion is brought down, hurry back, bind Ambika and take hold of her.
Chapter summary
Shumbha, angry at the goddess’s answer, sends Dhumralochana with sixty thousand demons to drag her to him by the hair. When Dhumralochana threatens her, she turns him to ash with the sound hum, then showers the army with arrows, spears and axes, and her lion destroys what is left.
Hearing this, Shumbha orders Chanda and Munda to go with a large force and bring her, dead or alive, by the hair. Chapter 7 is their story.
Where the other texts differ from the print
The Sanskrit above is the text of the Nirnaya Sagar print, which we read page by page against the page images. The GRETIL e-text of the Markandeya Purana (the Sansknet entry) and Sanskrit Wikisource are used here as witnesses only. This chapter has 20 verses in the Purana numbering.
In 1 verse (6.9) the print reads differently from the GRETIL e-text in the words, or does not have the verse, beyond the small typing slips listed further down. In each case we follow the print. The other reading is given here so that you can see it. The GRETIL text is quoted with its typing slips already corrected.
- 6.9: the print has इत्युक्तः सोऽभ्यधावत्तामसुरो धूम्रलोचनः / हुङ्कारेणैव तं भस्म सा चकाराम्बिका तदा. The GRETIL e-text has इत्युक्तः सोऽभ्यधावत्तामसुरो धूम्रलोचनः हुङ्कारेणैव तं भस्म सा चकाराम्बिका ततः. Wikisource agrees with GRETIL.
Typing slips in the GRETIL e-text, so that you can see exactly what was changed (the print has the corrected form in each):
- 6.5: the GRETIL e-text has पष्ट्या, a typing slip; the print has षष्ट्या, which we print.
- 6.5: the GRETIL e-text has द्रुतं ययो, a typing slip; the print has द्रुतं ययौ, which we print.
- 6.13: the GRETIL e-text has तलप्रिहारेण, a typing slip shared with Wikisource; the print has तलप्रहारेण, which we print.
- 6.14: the GRETIL e-text has सृतास्तेन, a typing slip shared with Wikisource; the print has कृतास्तेन, which we print.
- 6.16: the GRETIL e-text has कृत्स्त्रं, a typing slip shared with Wikisource; the print has कृत्स्नं, which we print.
Wikisource also has a speaker name or an editor’s note written into the verse text in 1 verse (6.8); these are not part of the text and are left out.
Source of the text on this page. The Sanskrit is the text of the Nirnaya Sagar Press edition of the Saptashati (Bombay, Shaka 1839, which is 1917 CE, edited by Vasudev Laxman Shastri Panshikar and published by Tukaram Javaji), read page by page from the scan on archive.org (identifier SaptashatiNirnayaSagarPress, scan pages 182 to 187 for this chapter). We follow the print's readings. We space the words and write the nasals in the usual style of this site, and we do not count that as a difference. The GRETIL e-text of the Markandeya Purana (where this chapter is chapter 86) and Sanskrit Wikisource are used as witnesses only: where they read differently from the print, their readings are listed under the heading above. The print numbers its speaker lines, and its own running count reaches 412 at the end of this chapter; this page keeps the Markandeya Purana numbering, so the verse numbers differ. The transliteration is a simple guide to sound and the meanings are our own wording. See the Devi Mahatmya hub for the full note on sources.