Chapter 7: Kali slays Chanda and Munda

सप्तशीतितमाध्यायः- ८७
ऋषिरुवाच
आज्ञप्तास्ते ततो दैत्याश्चण्डमुण्डपुरोगमाः ।
चतुरङ्गबलोपेता ययुरभ्युद्यतायुधाः

saptaśītitamādhyāyaḥ- 87
ṛṣiruvāca
ājñaptāste tato daityāścaṇḍamuṇḍapurogamāḥ |
caturaṅgabalopetā yayurabhyudyatāyudhāḥ

The Rishi said: At Shumbha's command the daityas set out, led by Chanda and Munda, with a fourfold army of elephants, chariots, horse and foot, their weapons raised.

ददृशुस्ते ततो देवीमीषद्धासां व्यवस्थिताम् ।
सिंहस्योपरि शैलेन्द्रशृङ्गे महति काञ्चने

dadṛśuste tato devīmīṣaddhāsāṃ vyavasthitām |
siṃhasyopari śailendraśṛṅge mahati kāñcane

They saw the Devi, smiling slightly, seated on her lion upon a great golden peak of the king of mountains.

ते दृष्ट्वा तां समादातुमुद्यमं चक्रुरुद्यताः ।
आकृष्टचापासिधरास्तथान्ये सत्समीपगाः

te dṛṣṭvā tāṃ samādātumudyamaṃ cakrurudyatāḥ |
ākṛṣṭacāpāsidharāstathānye satsamīpagāḥ

Seeing her, they made ready to seize her. Some drew their bows, some held swords, and others pressed close to her.

ततः कोपं चकारोच्चैरम्बिका तानरीन् प्रति ।
कोपेन चास्या वदनं मषीवर्णमभूत्तदा

tataḥ kopaṃ cakāroccairambikā tānarīn prati |
kopena cāsyā vadanaṃ maṣīvarṇamabhūttadā

Then Ambika grew fiercely angry with those foes, and in her anger her face turned black as ink.

भ्रुकुटीकुटिलात्तस्या ललाटफलकाद् द्रुतम् ।
काली करालवदना विनिष्क्रान्तासिपाशिनी

bhrukuṭīkuṭilāttasyā lalāṭaphalakād drutam |
kālī karālavadanā viniṣkrāntāsipāśinī

From her forehead, knotted in a frown, there swiftly sprang Kali, of dreadful face, holding a sword and a noose.

विचित्रखट्वाङ्गधरा नरमालाविभूषणा ।
द्वीपिचर्मपरीधाना शुष्कमांसातिभैरवा

vicitrakhaṭvāṅgadharā naramālāvibhūṣaṇā |
dvīpicarmaparīdhānā śuṣkamāṃsātibhairavā

She carried a strange skull-topped staff, the khatvanga, and wore a garland of human heads. She was clad in a tiger skin, and her shrunken, fleshless body made her most terrible.

अतिविस्तारवदना जिह्वाललनभीषणा ।
निमग्नारक्तनयना नादापूरितदिङ्मुखा

ativistāravadanā jihvālalanabhīṣaṇā |
nimagnāraktanayanā nādāpūritadiṅmukhā

Her mouth gaped wide, her lolling tongue was fearful to see, her eyes were sunken and red, and her roar filled every quarter of the sky.

सा वेगेनाभिपतिता घातयन्ती महासुरान् ।
सैन्ये तत्र सुरारीणामभक्षयत तद्वलम्

sā vegenābhipatitā ghātayantī mahāsurān |
sainye tatra surārīṇāmabhakṣayata tadvalam

She fell upon them with great speed, slaying the great asuras, and in that army of the devas' enemies she devoured their forces.

पार्ष्णिग्राहाङ्कुशग्राहि योधघण्टासमन्वितान् ।
समादायैकहस्तेन मुखे चिक्षेप वारणान्

pārṣṇigrāhāṅkuśagrāhi yodhaghaṇṭāsamanvitān |
samādāyaikahastena mukhe cikṣepa vāraṇān

With one hand she seized the elephants, along with their rear guards, their drivers holding goads, their warriors and their bells, and flung them into her mouth.

तथैव योधं तुरगै रथं सारथिना सह ।
निक्षिप्य वक्त्रे दशनैश्चर्वयन्त्यतिभैरवम्

tathaiva yodhaṃ turagai rathaṃ sārathinā saha |
nikṣipya vaktre daśanaiścarvayantyatibhairavam

In the same way she threw warriors with their horses, and chariots with their charioteers, into her mouth and chewed them most terribly with her teeth.

एकं जग्राह केशेषु ग्रीवायामथ चापरम् ।
पादेनाक्रम्य चैवान्यमुरसान्यमपोथयत्

ekaṃ jagrāha keśeṣu grīvāyāmatha cāparam |
pādenākramya caivānyamurasānyamapothayat

One she seized by the hair, another by the neck. Another she trampled underfoot, and another she crushed against her chest.

तैर्मुक्तानि च शस्त्रणि महास्त्राणि तथासुरैः ।
मुखेन जग्राह रुषा दशनैर्मथितान्यपि

tairmuktāni ca śastraṇi mahāstrāṇi tathāsuraiḥ |
mukhena jagrāha ruṣā daśanairmathitānyapi

The weapons and great missiles the asuras hurled at her she caught in her mouth in her fury and ground to pieces with her teeth.

बलिनां तद्बलं सर्वमसुराणां दुरात्मनाम् ।
ममर्दाभक्षयच्चान्यानन्यांश्चाताडयत्तथा

balināṃ tadbalaṃ sarvamasurāṇāṃ durātmanām |
mamardābhakṣayaccānyānanyāṃścātāḍayattathā

She crushed that whole army of mighty, evil-hearted asuras. Some she devoured and others she beat down.

असिना निहताः केचित्केचित्खट्वाङ्गताडिताः ।
जग्मुर्विनाशमसुरा दन्ताग्राभिहता रणे

asinā nihatāḥ kecitkecitkhaṭvāṅgatāḍitāḥ |
jagmurvināśamasurā dantāgrābhihatā raṇe

Some asuras were cut down by her sword, some struck by her khatvanga, and others perished on the field, torn by the points of her teeth.

क्षणेन तन्महासैन्यमसुराणां निपातितम् ।
दृष्ट्वा चण्डोऽभिमैर्भोमाक्षीं तां महासुरः

kṣaṇena tanmahāsainyamasurāṇāṃ nipātitam |
dṛṣṭvā caṇḍo'bhimairbhomākṣīṃ tāṃ mahāsuraḥ

Seeing that great army of asuras laid low in a moment, the great asura Chanda rushed at Kali, so terrible to behold.

शरवर्षैर्महाभीमैर्भीमाक्षीं तां महासुरः ।
छादयामास चक्रैश्च मुण्डः क्षिप्तैः सहस्रशः

śaravarṣairmahābhīmairbhīmākṣīṃ tāṃ mahāsuraḥ |
chādayāmāsa cakraiśca muṇḍaḥ kṣiptaiḥ sahasraśaḥ

The great asura covered that fearful-eyed Devi with showers of dreadful arrows, and Munda covered her with discuses hurled by the thousand.

तानि चक्राण्यनेकानि विशमानानि तन्मुखम् ।
बभुर्यथार्कबिम्बानि सुबहूनि घनोदरम्

tāni cakrāṇyanekāni viśamānāni tanmukham |
babhuryathārkabimbāni subahūni ghanodaram

Those many discuses, entering her mouth, shone like countless orbs of the sun vanishing into the belly of a dark cloud.

ततो जहासातिरुषा भीमं भैरवनादिनी ।
काली करालवक्त्रान्तर्दुर्दर्शदशनोज्ज्वला

tato jahāsātiruṣā bhīmaṃ bhairavanādinī |
kālī karālavaktrāntardurdarśadaśanojjvalā

Then Kali, roaring fearfully, laughed a terrible laugh in her great fury, her teeth gleaming, dreadful to look at, within her gaping mouth.

उत्थाय च महासिंहं देवी चण्डमधावत ।
गृहीत्वा चास्य केशेषु शिरस्तेनासिनाच्छिनत्

utthāya ca mahāsiṃhaṃ devī caṇḍamadhāvata |
gṛhītvā cāsya keśeṣu śirastenāsinācchinat

The Devi mounted her great lion and rushed at Chanda. Seizing him by the hair, she cut off his head with her sword.

छिन्ने शिरसि दैत्येन्द्रश्चक्रे नादं सुभैरवम् ।
तेन नादेन महता त्रासितं भुवनत्रयम्

chinne śirasi daityendraścakre nādaṃ subhairavam |
tena nādena mahatā trāsitaṃ bhuvanatrayam

When his head was cut off, the lord of the daityas gave a most terrible cry, and that mighty cry struck fear through the three worlds.

अथ मुण्डोऽभ्यधावत्तां दृष्ट्वा चण्डं निपातितम् ।
तमप्यपातयद् भूमौ सा खड्गाभिहतं रुषा

atha muṇḍo'bhyadhāvattāṃ dṛṣṭvā caṇḍaṃ nipātitam |
tamapyapātayad bhūmau sā khaḍgābhihataṃ ruṣā

Then Munda, seeing Chanda fallen, rushed at her. She struck him too with her sword in her fury and threw him to the ground.

हतशेषं ततः सैन्यं दृष्ट्वा चण्डं निपातितम् ।
मुण्डं च सुमहावीर्यं दिशो भेजे भयातुरम्

hataśeṣaṃ tataḥ sainyaṃ dṛṣṭvā caṇḍaṃ nipātitam |
muṇḍaṃ ca sumahāvīryaṃ diśo bheje bhayāturam

Seeing Chanda fallen and the mighty Munda as well, the remnant of the army fled in all directions, stricken with fear.

शिरञ्चण्डस्य काली च गृहीत्वा मुण्डमेव च ।
प्राह प्रचण्डाट्टहासमिश्रमभ्येत्य चण्डिकाम्

śirañcaṇḍasya kālī ca gṛhītvā muṇḍameva ca |
prāha pracaṇḍāṭṭahāsamiśramabhyetya caṇḍikām

Kali took the heads of Chanda and Munda, came to Chandika, and spoke amid fierce peals of laughter.

मया तवात्रोपहृतौ चण्डमुण्डौ महापशू ।
युद्धयज्ञे स्वयं शुम्भं निशुम्भं च हनिष्यसि

mayā tavātropahṛtau caṇḍamuṇḍau mahāpaśū |
yuddhayajñe svayaṃ śumbhaṃ niśumbhaṃ ca haniṣyasi

Here I have brought you Chanda and Munda, two great beasts for the sacrifice of battle. Shumbha and Nishumbha you will slay yourself.

तावानीतौ ततो दृष्ट्वा चण्डमुण्डौ महासुरौ ।
उवाच कालीं कल्याणी ललितं चण्डिका वचः

tāvānītau tato dṛṣṭvā caṇḍamuṇḍau mahāsurau |
uvāca kālīṃ kalyāṇī lalitaṃ caṇḍikā vacaḥ

The Rishi said: Seeing the two great asuras Chanda and Munda brought before her, the auspicious Chandika spoke sweet words to Kali.

यस्माच्चण्डं च मुण्डं च गृहीत्वा त्वमुपागता ।
चामुण्डेति ततो लोके ख्याता देवि भविष्यसि

yasmāccaṇḍaṃ ca muṇḍaṃ ca gṛhītvā tvamupāgatā |
cāmuṇḍeti tato loke khyātā devi bhaviṣyasi

The Devi said: Because you have come bringing both Chanda and Munda, O Devi, you will be known in the world as Chamunda.