Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Devi Mahatmya - 6

Devi Mahatmya - Markandeya Purana, tr. by Bibek Debroy

Ch 5 << Chapter 6 (Ch 83 in the book) >> Ch 7

S
ugreeva was filled with rage at the goddess' insolence, and rushed to deliver this message to Shumbha. Shumbha summoned his general, Dhumralochana, and ordered him to bring that evil woman (दुष्टा) in front of him, dragging her by the hair, and to kill anyone who tried to save her.



Dhumralochana rushed with sixty thousand asura soldiers to where the goddess was, and ordered her to come with him lest he drag her by the hair. The goddess meekly submitted that with such a powerful person, what else could she do but obey.

Dhumralochana rushed towards the goddess, who reduced the asura general to ashes with a humkara. Thereafter, she showered arrows, spears,and battleaxes on the asura soldiers. Her lion also took part in the battle, slaying some with his paw, some with his teeth, some with his nails.

Upon hearing the news of the complete destruction of Dhumralochana and his army, Shumbha ordered Chanda and Munda to bind and drag the goddess by the hair to him. If that was uncertain, then he ordered that they should kill her. Not only that, he ordered that even her lion should be killed!

Reference: Markandeya Purana, translated by Bibek Debroy. Published by Penguin, 2019. The Devi Mahatmya is covered in chapters 78-90 of the Markandeya Purana.

© 2020, Abhinav Agarwal (अभिनव अग्रवाल). All rights reserved.