Chapter 7: The Slaying of Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa

ṛṣir uvāca
7.1 The seer said:

ājñaptāste tato daityāś caṇḍamuṇḍapurogamāḥ
caturaṅgabalopetā yayur abhyudyatāyudhāḥ

7.2 “Headed by Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, the daityas’ fourfold army of elephants, charioteers, cavalry, and infantry went forth at Śumbha’s command, brandishing weapons.

dadṛśus te tato Devīm īṣaddhāsāṁ vyavasthitām
simhasyopari śailendraśṛṅge mahati kāñcane

7.3 They saw The Devī Smiling Gently, Seated Upon Her Lion Atop the great, golden peak of the highest mountain.

te dṛṣtvā tāṁ samādātum udyam añcakrur udyatāḥ ākṛṣṭacāpāsidharās tathānye tat samīpagāḥ

7.4 Seeing Her, they contrived to Carry Her Off. While some approached with swords drawn and bows poised in readiness,

tataḥ kopaṁ cakāroccair Ambikā tān arīm prati
kopena cāsyā vadanaṁ maṣīvarṇam abhūt tadā

7.5 Ambikā cried out angrily against those foes, and In Wrath Her Face Turned As Black As Ink.

bhrukuṭīkuṭilāt tasyā lalāṭaphalakād drutam
Kālī karālavadanā viniṣkrāntāsipāśinī

7.6 From Her Scowling Brow, Kālī Sprang Forth, Frightful Of Countenance And Armed With Sword And Noose,

vicitrakhaṭvāṅgadharā naramālāvibhūṣaṇā
dvīpicarmaparīdhānā śuṣkaṁāmsātibhairavā

7.7 Bearing A Strange Skull-Topped Staff, Adorned With A Garland Of Skulls, And Clad In A Tiger’s Skin. Her Emaciated Flesh Appalling,

ativistāravadanā jihvālalanabhīṣaṇā
nimagnāraktanayanā nādāpūritadiṅmukhā

7.8 Her Mouth Gaping, Her Lolling Tongue Horrifying, Her Sunken Eyes Glowing red, She Filled the four quarters of the sky With Her Roars.

sā vegenābhipatitā ghātayantī mahāsurān
sainye tatra surāriṇām abhakṣayata tad balam

7.9 Swiftly Falling Upon the great asuras in that army, She Slew And Devoured Those hosts of the Gods’ foes.

pārṣṇigrāhāṅkuśagrāhiyodhaghaṇṭāsamanvitān
samādāyaikahastena mukhe cikṣepa vāraṇān

7.10 Attacking the rear guard and Seizing the elephants with their drivers, warriors, and bells, She Flung them Into Her Mouth With A Single Hand.

tathaiva yodhaṁ turagai rathaṁ sārathinā saha
nikṣipya vaktre daśanaiś carvayaty atibhairavam

7.11 In like Manner, She Tossed the cavalry with its horses and the charioteers with their chariots Into Her Mouth and Ground them Furiously Between Her Teeth.

ekaṁ jagrāha keśeṣu grivāyām atha cāparam
pādenākramya caivānyam urasānyam apothayat

7.12 She Seized one asura by the hair and another by the throat. Crushing another Underfoot, She Slammed yet another Against Her breast.

tair muktāni ca śastrāṇi mahātrāṇi tathāsuraiḥ
mukhena jagrāha ruṣā daśanair mathitāny api

7.13 The weapons and great missiles the asuras hurled She Caught In Her Mouth and Ground Angrily Between Her Teeth.

balināṁ tad balaṁ sarvam asurāṇāṁ durātmanām
mamardābhakṣayac cānyān anyāṁś cātāḍayat tathā

7.14 All that army of mighty and evil-natured asuras She Ravaged, Devouring some and Beating others Severely.

asinā nihatāḥ kecit kecit khaṭvāṅgatāḍitāḥ
jagmur vināśam asurā dantāgrābhihatās tathā

7.15 She Struck Down some With Her Sword and Battered others with Her Skull-Topped Staff. Other asuras met their destruction Between Her Gnashing Teeth.

kṣaṇena tad balaṁ sarvam asurāṇāṁ nipātitam
dṛṣṭvā caṇḍo ’bhidudrāva tāṁ Kālīm atibhīṣaṇām

7.16 When Caṇḍa saw the entire army of asuras swiftly struck down, he rushed at The Terrifying Kālī.

śaravarṣair mahābhīmair bhīmākṣīm tāṁ mahāsuraḥ
chādayāmāsa cakraiś ca muṇḍaḥ kṣiptaiḥ sahasraśaḥ

7.17 With a formidable deluge of arrows, that great asura engulfed The Glowering Kālī while Muṇḍa hurled discuses at Her by the thousands,

tāni cakrāṇy anekāni viśamānāni tan mukham
babhur yathā ’rkabimbāni subahūni ghanodaram

7.18 myriad discuses That Entered Her Mouth as so many solar orbs vanishing into the denseness of a cloud.

ato jahāsātiruṣā bhīmaṁ bhairavanādinī
Kālī karālavaktrāntar durdarśadaśanojjvalā

7.19 With A Terrifying Roar, Kālī Laughed In Fury, Her Fearsome Teeth Gleaming Within Her Ghastly Mouth.

utthāya ca mahāsimhaṁ Devī Daṇḍam adhāvata
gṛhītvā cāsya keśeṣu śiras tenāsinācchinat

7.20 Mounting Her Great Lion, The Devī Rushed at Caṇḍa, seized him by the hair, and Severed his head With Her Sword.

atha muṇḍo ’bhyadhāvat tāṁ dṛṣṭvā caṇḍam nipātitam
tam apyapātayad bhūmau sā khaḍgābhihataṁ ruṣā

7.21 Seeing Caṇḍa slain, Muṇḍa attacked Her. She Pushed him to the ground and Struck him In Fury With Her Sword.

hataśeṣam tataḥ sainyaṁ dṛṣṭvā caṇḍaṁ nipātitam
muṇḍaṁ ca sumahāvīryaṁ diśo bheje bhayāturam

7.22 Seeing Caṇḍa and also the most valorous Muṇḍa slain, the remaining army panicked and fled in all directions.

śiraś caṇḍasya Kālī ca gṛhītvā muṇḍam eva ca
prāha pracaṇdāṭṭahasamiśram abhyetya Caṇḍikām

7.23 And Kālī, Grasping the heads of Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, Approached Caṇḍikā. Mingling Fierce, Loud Laughter With Her Words, She Said:

mayā tavātropahṛtau caṇḍamuṇḍau mahāpaśū
yuddhayajñe Svayaṁ śumbhaṁ niśumbhaṁ ca haniṣyasi

7.24 ‘I Here Present To You Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa As Two Great Offerings in the sacrifice of battle. You Yourself Shall Slay Śumbha and Niśumbha.’”

ṛṣir uvāca

7.25 The seer said:

tāv ānītau tato dṛṣṭvā caṇḍamuṇḍau mahāsurau
uvāca Kālīṁ kalyāṇī lalitaṁ Caṇḍikā vacaḥ

7.26 “When She Saw Those two great asuras, Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, Brought Before Her, The Auspicious Caṇḍikā Spoke These Playful Words To Kālī:

yasmāc caṇḍaṁ ca muṇḍaṁ ca gṛhītvā Tvam upāgatā
Cāmuṇḍeti tato loke khyātā Devi bhaviṣyasi

7.27 ‘Because You Have Overpowered Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa And Delivered Them To Me, You, O Devī, Will Henceforth Be Known In The World As Cāmuṇḍā.’”

Chapter 7: The Slaying of Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa

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