Devī Māhātmyam | Durgā Saptashatī | 6
Chapter 6
The Slaying of Dhūmralochana
॥ ṣaṣṭho'dhyāyaḥ ||
oṃ ṛṣiruvāca ॥ 1||
The Rishi said:
ityākarṇya vaco devyāḥ sa dūto'marṣapūritaḥ ।
samācaṣṭa samāgamya daityarājāya vistarāt ॥ 2||
1-2. The messenger, filled with indignation on hearing the words the Devi, returned and related them in detail to the king of the Daityas.
tasya dūtasya tadvākyamākarṇyāsurarāṭ tataḥ ।
sakrodhaḥ prāha daityānāmadhipaṃ dhūmralocanam ॥ 3||
he dhūmralocanāśu tvaṃ svasainyaparivāritaḥ ।
tāmānaya balādduṣṭāṃ keśākarṣaṇavihvalām ॥ 4||
3-4. Then the asura monarch, enraged on hearing that report from his messenger, told Dhūmralochana, a chieftain of the Daityas:
'O Dhūmralochana, hasten together with your army and fetch here by force that shrew, distressed when dragged by her hair.
tatparitrāṇadaḥ kaścidyadi vottiṣṭhate'paraḥ ।
sa hantavyo'maro vāpi yakṣo gandharva eva vā ॥ 5||
5. 'Or if anyone else stands up as her saviours, let him be slain, be he a god, a yakṣā or a gandharva.'
ṛṣiruvāca ॥ 6||
The Rishi said:
tenājñaptastataḥ śīghraṃ sa daityo dhūmralocanaḥ ।
vṛtaḥ ṣaṣṭyā sahasrāṇāmasurāṇāṃ drutaṃ yayau ॥ 7||
6-7. Then the asura Dhūmralochana, commanded thus by Śumbha, went forth quickly, accompanied by sixty thousand asuras.
sa dṛṣṭvā tāṃ tato devīṃ tuhinācalasaṃsthitām ।
jagādoccaiḥ prayāhīti mūlaṃ śumbhaniśumbhayoḥ ॥ 8||
8. On seeing the Devi stationed on the snowy mountain, he asked her aloud:
'Come to the presence of Śumbha and Niśumbha.
na cetprītyādya bhavatī madbhartāramupaiṣyati ।
tato balānnayāmyeṣa keśākarṣaṇavihvalām ॥ 9||
9. 'If you will not go to my lord with pleasure now, here I take you by force, distressed when dragged by your hair.'
devyuvāca ॥ 10||
The Devi said:
daityeśvareṇa prahito balavānbalasaṃvṛtaḥ ।
balānnayasi māmevaṃ tataḥ kiṃ te karomyaham ॥ 11||
10-11. 'You are sent by the lord of the asuras, mighty yourself and accompanied by an army. If you thus take me by force, then what can I do to you?'
ṛṣiruvāca ॥ 12||
The Rishi said:
ityuktaḥ so'bhyadhāvattāmasuro dhūmralocanaḥ ।
huṅkāreṇaiva taṃ bhasma sā cakārāmbikā tadā ॥ 13||
12-13. Thus told, the asura Dhūmralochana rushed towards her and thereupon Ambikā reduced him to ashes with a mere heave of the sound 'hum'
atha kruddhaṃ mahāsainyamasurāṇāṃ tathāmbikā ।
vavarṣa sāyakaistīkṣṇaistathā śaktiparaśvadhaiḥ ॥ 14||
14. Then the great army of asuras became enraged and showered on Ambikā sharp arrows, javelins, and axes.
tato dhutasaṭaḥ kopātkṛtvā nādaṃ subhairavam ।
papātāsurasenāyāṃ siṃho devyāḥ svavāhanaḥ ॥ 15||
15. Then the lion, vehicle of the Devi, shaking its mane in anger, and making the most terrific roar, fell on the army of the asuras.
kāṃścitkaraprahāreṇa daityānāsyena cāparān ।
ākrāntyā cādhareṇānyān jaghāna sa mahāsurān ॥ 16||
16. Some asuras it slaughtered with a blow of its fore paw, others with its mouth, and other great asuras, by treading over with its hind legs.
keṣāñcitpāṭayāmāsa nakhaiḥ koṣṭhāni kesarī ।
tathā talaprahāreṇa śirāṃsi kṛtavānpṛthak ॥ 17||
17. The lion, with its claws, tore out the hearts of some and severed heads with a blow of the paw.
vicchinnabāhuśirasaḥ kṛtāstena tathāpare ।
papau ca rudhiraṃ koṣṭhādanyeṣāṃ dhutakesaraḥ ॥ 18||
18. And it severed arms and heads from others, and shaking its mane drank the blood from the hearts of others.
kṣaṇena tadbalaṃ sarvaṃ kṣayaṃ nītaṃ mahātmanā ।
tena kesariṇā devyā vāhanenātikopinā ॥ 19||
19. In a moment all that army was destroyed by that high-spirited and exceedingly enraged lion who bore the Devi.
śrutvā tamasuraṃ devyā nihataṃ dhūmralocanam ।
balaṃ ca kṣayitaṃ kṛtsnaṃ devīkesariṇā tataḥ ॥ 20||
cukopa daityādhipatiḥ śumbhaḥ prasphuritādharaḥ ।
ājñāpayāmāsa ca tau caṇḍamuṇḍau mahāsurau ॥ 21||
20-21. When Śumbha, the lord of asuras, heard that asura Dhūmralochana was slain by the Devi and all his army was destroyed by the lion of the Devi,
he was infuriated, his lip quivered and he commanded the two mighty asuras Chaṇḍa and Muṇḍa:
he caṇḍa he muṇḍa balairbahubhiḥ parivāritau ।
tatra gacchata gatvā ca sā samānīyatāṃ laghu ॥ 22||
keśeṣvākṛṣya baddhvā vā yadi vaḥ saṃśayo yudhi ।
tadāśeṣāyudhaiḥ sarvairasurairvinihanyatām ॥ 23||
22-23. 'O Chaṇḍa, O Muṇḍa, go there with large forces, and bring her here speedily, dragging her by her hair or binding her.
But if you have any doubt about doing that, then let the asuras strike (her) in the fight with all their weapons.
tasyāṃ hatāyāṃ duṣṭāyāṃ siṃhe ca vinipātite ।
śīghramāgamyatāṃ baddhvā gṛhītvā tāmathāmbikām ॥ 24||
24. 'When that shrew is wounded and her lion stricken down, seize that Ambikā, bind and bring her quickly.'
॥ svasti śrīmārkaṇḍeyapurāṇe sāvarṇike manvantare devīmāhātmye
śumbhaniśumbhasenānīdhūmralocanavadho nāma ṣaṣṭho'dhyāyaḥ ॥ 6॥
Here ends the sixth chapter called 'The Slaying of Dhūmralochana' of Devi-Māhātmya in Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa during the period of Sāvarṇi, the Manu.