श्री देवी पराक्रम (śrī devī parākrama – valour of Goddess)

देवीमहात्म्यम् (devīmahātmyam)

Original	Transliteration	Translation
ॐ ऐम् ह्रीं क्लीं चामुण्डायै विच्चे नमः॥	(oṃ aim hrīṃ klīṃ cāmuṇḍāyai vicce namaḥ॥
Sanskrit Reference: श्री चण्डी नवाक्षरीमन्त्र (śrī caṇḍī navākṣarīmantra)

In fact, all of the following त्रिक चरितः (trika caritaḥ - triple episodes) narated in the दुर्गा सप्तशतिका (durgā saptaśatikā),  better known as देवीमहात्म्यम् (devīmahātmyam) which is part of the मार्कण्डेय महापुराण (mārkaṇḍeya mahāpurāṇa) beautifully demonstrating विद्ध्वेश भक्ति (vidveśa bhakti – Offensive Devotion)

#	चरित (carita - episode)	Synopsis	त्रिदेवता अंश (tridevatā aṃśa – aspect of tiple goddess)
1	प्रथम चरित (prathama carita – first eposiode)	मधु च कैटभ भङ्गयोः (madhu ca kaiṭabha bhaṅgayoḥ - defeat of madhu & kaiṭabha) in the hands of महा विष्णु (mahā viṣṇu) with the help of माता श्री महामायादेवी (mātā śrī mahāmāyādevī)	पार्वती / उमा (pārvatī / umā)
2	मध्यम चरित (madhyama carita – middle episode)	महिशासुर मर्दिन् (mahiśāsura mardin - demonic Mahisha destruction) by Goddess माता श्री दुर्गादेवी (mātā śrī durgādevī)	लक्ष्मी (lakṣmī)
3	उत्तम चरित (uttama carita – final episode)	शुम्भ च निशुम्भ  भङ्गयोः (śumbha ca niśumbha bhaṅgayoḥ - defeat of śumbha & niśumbha)  by Goddess माता श्री महाकाली (mātā śrī mahākālī)	सरस्वती (sarasvatī)

Swami Chidananda (Swami Sivananda Ashram), while refering to महिशासुर मर्दिन् (mahiśāsura mardin - demonic Mahisha destruction)  by Goddess माता श्री दुर्गादेवी (mātā śrī durgādevī), in his famous book “God As Mother”, explains that the Goddess ‘destroys’  the defaulters only ‘to save’ them permanently: To quote him: 

“For, She destroys but to save. She destroys ignorance, nescience, in order to bestow knowledge. She destroys darkness so that we may realise light. She destroys all pain, all sorrow, all misery and all the earthly travails and tribulations; and bestows upon us bliss, joy and immortality. Thus She is a destroyer of all those factors that bind the Jiva to this terrible Samsara. She is a terrible destroyer of all terrible things and the benign bestower of blessedness and beatitude. Thus it is that the Mother is conceived of as the destroyer of one of Her own aspects; just as by the power of will—and will is also a portion of the mind—we overcome certain weaknesses and evils in the same mind. As Vidya-Maya, Mother using Her aspect as Kali, destroys Avidya and takes us to the transcendental Brahman. Thus we find that Mother Kali stands for a glorified being, a Mother who is intent upon giving deliverance from delusion. It is in this aspect that the lover of the Mother worships Her as Kali. He calls upon Her: “Oh compassionate Mother! I am at the mercy of this all-powerful mind. I am tyrannised by the ego and the senses. I have become enslaved by the Shad-Ripus and this whole army of Vasanas, Vrittis and Samskaras. They are ever battling against me. Therefore, Thou alone can’st save me from these terrible foes.” He invokes Her aid and power to help destroy all these factors, so that when he cannot battle and overcome them, he gets the strength of the Mother and She graciously comes to his aid and in Her symbolically terrible form She helps him overcome the senses and attain mastery and victory over the mind”

Of course, in addition to the exoteric account of the physical battle and the eventual establishment of सत्यमेव जयते (satyameva jayate  - Truth alone Triumphs), there is a deeper esoteric philosophy of inner spiritual battle conveyed in these stories as explained by Devadatta Kāli in his famous book “In Praise of the Goddess – The Devi Mahatmya and its Meaning”, according to whom:

 “The Devīmāhātmya’s three mythological narratives are allegories of outer and internal experience. Outwardly, the asuras symbolize the chaos or adharma that threatens cosmic stability or dharma. Inwardly, they symbolize the ego-based ignorance that plagues the human condition. The gods and the all-powerful Devī in her many aspects represent light and truth, and their clashes with the asuras symbolize the internal struggles that human beings face daily. Reflection on the myths’ often gory details reveals an underlying psychological and spiritual wisdom”

In fact, there is a subtle esoteric message corresponding to त्रिक रङ्गः (trika raṅgaḥ - triple stages) of spiritual progress, even in the order in which the त्रिक चरितः (trika caritaḥ - triple episodes) are narrated in the sacred देवीमहात्म्यम् (devīmahātmyam). Again I would like to quote here the famous discourse on the “Esoteric significance of Devi Mahatmya” given by His Holiness Swami Sri Krishnananda (of the Sivananda Ashram), according to whom: 

 “The march of the soul is graduated into three major steps, though there are many minor steps involved in these three major ones. While we have to rise through various rungs of the ladder of evolution, we come to three points or halting places, we may call them, where there is a complete transformation of outlook, attitude and constitution of our being. These threefold transformations of the spiritual being of the aspiring soul are dominated or presided over by three deities known as Maha-Kali, Maha-Lakshmi and Maha-Sarasvati. These three presiding forces are representative of the powers of the spirit within manifesting themselves in an upward ascent towards freedom ultimate, so that in this march of the soul to its freedom, it carries with it everything that is connected with it. The difference between the spiritual march and your march along the road or a highway is this, that while in your march on a roadway, you alone walk and nobody need accompany you, nothing need be connected with you, and you can have a free walk independently; in the spiritual march, it is not such an isolated march, but you carry with you everything that is connected with you. Now, what are the things connected with you that you carry? There are four stages of this relationship. Consciously we are related in a particular manner and subconsciously we are related in another manner altogether. Consciously, we people seated in this hall for example, have a particular sort of relationship among ourselves, but subconsciously our relationships are of a different kind altogether and they need not tally with our conscious relationship. And deeper still, we have a layer where our relationship is more akin to a unity of life than to a diversity of personality. There is a fourth stage which is incapable of any description at all. We do not know whether we are to call it a unity or a diversity, or oneness or otherness. This is the goal towards which the soul is marching. So, in the description of the Devi-Mahatmya, we are carried forward psychologically and spiritually to our destination of the ultimate realisation. There are three stages of transformation described in the three sections of the Devi-Mahatmya. The first one is where Adi-Sakti awakes Maha-Vishnu who was asleep, so that He may destroy or overcome the original demoniacal forces, Madhu and Kaitabha. The second stage is where the same Sakti manifests Herself as Maha-Lakshmi and overcomes Mahishasura and Raktabija. The third one is where Sumbha and Nisumbha are destroyed by Maha-Sarasvati.”

मधु च कैटभ भङ्गयोः (madhu ca kaiṭabha bhaṅgayoḥ - defeat of madhu & kaiṭabha)

    We shall now take a brief look at each of these त्रिक चरितः  (trika caritaḥ  - triple episodes) and try to understand its spiritual significance. Let’s start with the प्रथम चरित (prathama carita – first eposiode). During the महा प्रलय काल (mahā pralaya kāla – grand dissolution epoch), when Lord महा विष्णु (mahā viṣṇu) in the state of deep योगनिद्र(yoganidra – yogic sleep) was reclining by having आदि  शेषनाग (ādi śeṣanāga – primordial residual snake)  floating on the महा क्षीर सागर (mahā kṣīra sāgara – grand ocean of milk)

Original	Transliteration	Translation
ॐ खड्गं चक्र गदेषु चाप परिघान् शूलं भुषुण्डीं शिरः शङ्खं संदधतीं करैस् त्रिनयनां सर्वाङ्ग भूशावृताम्। नीलाशमद्युतिमास्य पाददशकां सेवे महाकालिकां यामस्तौत् स्वपीते हरौ कमलजो हन्तुं मधु कैटभम्॥	oṃ khaḍgaṃ cakra gadeṣu cāpa parighān śūlaṃ bhuṣuṇḍīṃ śiraḥ śaṅkhaṃ saṃdadhatīṃ karais trinayanāṃ sarvāṅga bhūśāvṛtām। nīlāśamadyutimāsya pādadaśakāṃ seve mahākālikāṃ yāmastaut svapīte harau kamalajo hantuṃ madhu kaiṭabham॥	I take refuge at the Feet of the Three-eyed Shrī Mahākālī, who holds in Her Ten Hands the Sword, Discus, Mace, Arrows, Bow, Club, Spear, Missile, Human Head and Conch, Whose Limbs are rich with ornaments, is Luminous like a Blue-black Jewel; and whom the Lotus-born Brahmā extolled in order to rouse Shrī Viṣhṇu from His Mystic Sleep and destroy the demons Madhu and Kaitabha.
Sanskrit Reference: देवीमहात्म्यं - ध्यानमन्त्र (devīmahātmyaṃ - dhyānamantra)

Eventually, द्वासुरौ (dvāsurau - two demons) by names  viz. मधु (madhu) & कैटभ (kaiṭabha) emerged from विष्णुकर्ण मलोद्भुतन् (viṣṇukarṇa malodbhutan – wax in Vishnu’s ears). In other words, the असुराः (asurāḥ - demons) emerged from the श्रवणौ(śravaṇau - two ears) of God. The following lines from देवीमहात्म्यम् (devīmahātmyam) narrates thus:

Original	Transliteration	Translation
योगनिद्रां यदा विष्णुजगत्येकार्णविकृते। आस्तीर्यं शेषम्भजत्कल्पान्ते भगवान् प्रभुः॥ तदा द्वासुरौ घोरौ विख्यातौ मधुकैटभौ। विष्णुकर्णमलोद्भूतौ हन्तुं ब्रमाणमुद्यतौ॥	yoganidrāṃ yadā viṣṇujagatyekārṇavikṛte। āstīryaṃ śeṣambhajatkalpānte bhagavān prabhuḥ॥ tadā dvāsurau ghorau vikhyātau madhukaiṭabhau। viṣṇukarṇamalodbhūtau hantuṃ bramāṇamudyatau॥	At the end of the cosmic day, when the universe dissolved into the primordial ocean, the blessed lord Viṣṇu stretched out on the serpent Śeṣa and entered into meditative sleep. Then two fearsome asuras, the notorious Madhu and Kaiṭabha, issued forth from the wax in Viṣṇu’s ears, intent on slaying Brahmā, Translation by Devadatta Kali
Sanskrit Reference:देवीमहात्म्यम् (devīmahātmyam) (1.67-68)

An even more detailed narration of this event is provided in the श्रीदेवीभगवतमहापुराण (śrīdevībhagavatamahāpurāṇa), another popular महापुराण (mahāpurāṇa) wherein श्री सूत महऋषि (śrī sūta mahaṛṣi) explains thus:

Original	Transliteration	Translation
पुरा चैकार्णवे जाते व्लीने भुवन्त्रये। शेषपर्यकसुप्ते च देवदेवे जनार्दने॥ विष्णुकर्णमलोद्भूतो दानवौ मधुकैटभौ। महाबलौच तौ दैत्यौ विवृद्धौ सागरे जले॥ क्रीडमानौ स्थितौ तत्र विचरंतावितस्ततः। तावोकदा महाकायौ क्रीडासत्कौ महावर्णे॥	purā caikārṇave jāte vlīne bhuvantraye। śeṣaparyakasupte ca devadeve janārdane॥ viṣṇukarṇamalodbhūto dānavau madhukaiṭabhau। mahābalauca tau daityau vivṛddhau sāgare jale॥ krīḍamānau sthitau tatra vicaraṃtāvitastataḥ। tāvokadā mahākāyau krīḍāsatkau mahāvarṇe॥	In days of yore, in the time of Pralaya (universal dissolution) when the three lokas and the entire universe dissolved in water, when the Devadeva Janârdana was lying asleep on the bed of Ananta, the thousand headed serpent, arose from the was of the ear of Bhagavân Visnu, the two very powerful Daityas Madhu and Kaitabha; they grew in the waters of the ocean and played around in the waters and thus passed some of their time Translation by Swami Vijnanananda
Sanskrit Reference:श्रीदेवीभगवतमहापुराण (śrīdevībhagavatamahāpurāṇa) (1.4.20-22)

The द्वासुरौ (dvāsurau - two demons) then blinded by their आसुर गर्व (āsura garva  - demonic arrogance), tried to attack the - श्री ब्रह्मदेव (śrī brahmadeva) – the deity responsible for the world’s creation. In order to defeat these demons, He invoked देवी महामाया (devī mahāmāyā) who awakened Lord महा विष्णु (mahā viṣṇu) from His योगनिद्र(yoganidra – yogic sleep) and eventually the असुरौ (asurau - two demons) were killed.

 Please recollect that essentially, just like देवाः (devāḥ - gods) their close cousins, these असुराः (asurāḥ - demons) have a sacred origin too, as they are also the gifted children of महऋषि कश्यप (mahaṛṣi kaśyapa). Moreover, the असुराः (asurāḥ - demons) are also ब्रह्मज्ञ शूरात्मनः (brahmajña śūrātmanaḥ – spiritually valiant / evolved souls), as they have obtained their शूरत्व / सिद्धि (śūratva / siddhi – valour / potencies) directly from the Divine after performing तीव्रतपस् (tīvra tapas – severe penance). For example, in the case of द्वासुरौ (dvāsurau - two demons)  also, they had undergone तीव्रतपस् (tīvra tapas – severe penance) before getting the शूरत्व / सिद्धि (śūratva / siddhi – valour / potencies). I would once again quote from the श्रीदेवीभगवतमहापुराण (śrīdevībhagavatamahāpurāṇa), which continues to explain thus:

Original	Transliteration	Translation
चिंतामवापतुश्चित्ते भ्रात्राविव संस्थितौ नाकारणं भवेत्कार्यं सर्वत्रेषा परंपरा। आधेयं तु विनाधारं न तिष्ठति कथंचन। आधाराअधेयभावस्तु भातिनो चित्तगोचरः। क्व तिष्ठिति जलं चेदं सुखरूपं सुविस्तरं। केन सृष्टं कथं जातं मग्नावावाजले स्थितौ॥ आवां व कथमुत्पन्नौ केन वोत्पादितावुभौ। पितरौ क्वेति विज्ञानं नास्ति कामं तथावयोः॥ एवं कामयमानौ तौ जगम्तुर्न विनिश्चयम्। उवाच कैटभस्तत्र मधु पार्शेव स्तिथं जले॥ मधोवामात्र सलिले स्थातुं शक्तिमहाबला। वर्तते भ्रातुर्चला कारणम् सा हि म मत॥ तया ततमिदं तोयं तदाधारं च तिष्ठति। सा एव परमादेवी कारणम् च तथावयोः॥ एवं विभुद्यमानौ तौ चिंताविष्टौ यदाऽसुरौ। तदाकाशे श्रुतं ताभ्यां वागवीजं सुमनोहरम्॥ गृहितं च ततस्ताम्यां तस्याभ्यासो दृढः कृतः। तदा सौदामनी दृष्टा ताभ्यां ख चोत्थिता शुभा॥ ताभ्यां विचारितं तत्र मंत्रोऽयं नात्र संशयः। तथा ध्यानमिदं दृष्टं गगने सगुणं किल॥ निराहारौ जीतात्मनौ तन्मनस्कौ स्महितौ। बभूवतुर्विचितं जपध्यानपरायनौ॥ एवं वर्षसहरं ताभ्याम् तप्तं महत्तपः। प्रसन्ना परमा शक्तिर्जाता सा परमा तयोः॥ खिनौ तौ दानवौ दृष्ट्वा तपसे क्ऱीतनिश्चयौ। तयोरनुग्रहार्थाय वागुवाचा शरीरिणी॥ वरं वा वाछितं दैत्यौ भूतं परमसंमतम्। ददामि परितुष्टाऽस्मि युवयोस्तपसा किल॥ इति श्रुत्वा तु तां वाणीं दानवा चतुस्तदा। स्वेच्छया मरणम् देवि वरं नौ देहि सुव्रते॥ वांछितं मरणम् दैत्यौ भवेद्वां मत्प्रसादत। अचेयौ देवदैत्यैश्च भ्रात्रौ नात्र संशयः॥	ciṃtāmavāpatuścitte bhrātrāviva saṃsthitau nākāraṇaṃ bhavetkāryaṃ sarvatreṣā paraṃparā। ādheyaṃ tu vinādhāraṃ na tiṣṭhati kathaṃcana। ādhārāadheyabhāvastu bhātino cittagocaraḥ। kva tiṣṭhiti jalaṃ cedaṃ sukharūpaṃ suvistaraṃ। kena sṛṣṭaṃ kathaṃ jātaṃ magnāvāvājale sthitau॥ āvāṃ va kathamutpannau kena votpāditāvubhau। pitarau kveti vijñānaṃ nāsti kāmaṃ tathāvayoḥ॥ evaṃ kāmayamānau tau jagamturna viniścayam। uvāca kaiṭabhastatra madhu pārśeva stithaṃ jale॥ madhovāmātra salile sthātuṃ śaktimahābalā। vartate bhrāturcalā kāraṇam sā hi ma mata॥ tayā tatamidaṃ toyaṃ tadādhāraṃ ca tiṣṭhati। sā eva paramādevī kāraṇam ca tathāvayoḥ॥ evaṃ vibhudyamānau tau ciṃtāviṣṭau yadā'surau। tadākāśe śrutaṃ tābhyāṃ vāgavījaṃ sumanoharam॥ gṛhitaṃ ca tatastāmyāṃ tasyābhyāso dṛḍhaḥ kṛtaḥ। tadā saudāmanī dṛṣṭā tābhyāṃ kha cotthitā śubhā॥ tābhyāṃ vicāritaṃ tatra maṃtro'yaṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ। tathā dhyānamidaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ gagane saguṇaṃ kila॥ nirāhārau jītātmanau tanmanaskau smahitau। babhūvaturvicitaṃ japadhyānaparāyanau॥ evaṃ varṣasaharaṃ tābhyām taptaṃ mahattapaḥ। prasannā paramā śaktirjātā sā paramā tayoḥ॥ khinau tau dānavau dṛṣṭvā tapase kītaniścayau। tayoranugrahārthāya vāguvācā śarīriṇī॥ varaṃ vā vāchitaṃ daityau bhūtaṃ paramasaṃmatam। dadāmi parituṣṭā'smi yuvayostapasā kila॥ iti śrutvā tu tāṃ vāṇīṃ dānavā catustadā। svecchayā maraṇam devi varaṃ nau dehi suvrate॥ vāṃchitaṃ maraṇam daityau bhavedvāṃ matprasādata। aceyau devadaityaiśca bhrātrau nātra saṃśayaḥ॥	Once, on a time, when the two huge bodied Dânavas were playing with each other like two brothers, they thought that the general rule of the universe is that no effect takes place without a cause and nothing can rest without the receptacle thereof. But we cannot understand what is our receptacle or who is resting on us. Whereon rests this pleasant expanse of wide ocean? Who was it that created this? How was this created? Why are we living here merged within the water? Who created us? and who are our father and mother. Nothing of a these we know. Thus thinking, when they could not come to any conclusion, Kaitabha spoke to Madhu, beside him, within the waters :-- “O Brother! It seems to me the great immoveable force that makes us rest in this water is the cause of all. This whole mass of water, too, pervaded by that force, rests on that; that Highest Devî must be the Cause of us”. When the two Asuras, merged in this thought, understood this, they heard in the air the beautiful Vâgvîja (the seed mantra of Vâk, the speech, the Devî Sarasvatî). They then began to pronounce repeated the Vâgvîja mantra and practised it with the great steadfastness. Next they saw, risen high up in the air, the auspicious lightning and thought that certainly our mantra that we are repeating has made Herself visible in this form of light and thus we have seen certainly in the air, the saguna form (form with attributes) of Sarasvatî, the goddess of Speech. Thus thinking in their minds they, without any food, with their minds controlled, constantly thought of that, with their whole mind collected on that, and repeating and meditating the mantra became one with that. Thus they passed one thousand years in practising that great tapas; when the Highest Âdyâ S’akti became pleased with them and seeing the two Dânavas, steadfast in the practice of Tapas, tired, address them, invisibly in the way of celestial voice thus :-- “O two Dânavas! I am exceedingly pleased with your tapasyâ; so ask boon whatever you desire; I will grant it.” Hearing, then, the celestial voice, thus the two Dânavas said :-- “O Devî! O Suvrate! Grant us that we will die when we will.” Hearing this, Vagdevî said :-- “O two Dânavas! Certain by My grace, you two will die when you will and you two brothers will be invincible of all the Suras and Asuras. There is no doubt in this” Translation by Swami Vijnanananda
Sanskrit Reference: श्रीदेवीभगवतमहापुराण (śrīdevībhagavatamahāpurāṇa) (1.4.23-38)

It must be clear from the above narrative that just as a sincere seeker of spiritual enlightenment, the द्वासुरौ (dvāsurau - two demons) had a natural inqusitiveness to seek,  and find the परमार्थ सथ्य (paramārtha sathya - ultimate truth) regarding what is the आध्या शक्ति (ādhyā śakti - primordial energy) underlying all the phenomenal manifestations. And to this end, they underwent the necessary pre-requisites and preformed तीव्रतपस् (tīvra tapas – severe penance) contemlating on the वाक्बीज (vākbīja – gnostic seed). And as per the universal कर्म विधि (karma vidhi - law of karma), their sincere efforts yielded them the desired results. The Goddess श्री वाणी /सरस्वती (śrī vāṇī / sarasvatī), pleased with their साधन (sādhana -aacomplishment) appeared before them and granted them the desired boon.   

 

Before proceeding further, let us try to understand the esoteric philosophy underlying the symologies of महा क्षीर सागर (mahā kṣīra sāgara – grand ocean of milk), योगनिद्र(yoganidra – yogic sleep) etc.. First let us take महा क्षीर सागर (mahā kṣīra sāgara – grand ocean of milk). While discussing about the “Image of the Ocean and the Rivers” :in his famous work “The Secret of the Vedas”, Sri Aurobindho explains  thus: 

 “We find this fundamental idea of the Vedic Rishis brought out in the Hymn of Creation (X.129) where the subconscient is thus described. “Darkness hidden by darkness in the beginning was this all, an ocean without mental consciousness... out of it the One was born by the greatness of Its energy. It first moved in it as desire which was the first seed of mind. The Masters of Wisdom found out in the non-existent that which builds up the existent; in the heart they found it by purposeful impulsion and by the thought-mind. Their ray was extended horizontally; there was something above, there was something below.” In this passage the same ideas are brought out as in Vamadeva’s hymn but without the veil of images. Out of the subconscient ocean  the One arises in the heart first as desire; he moves there in the heart-ocean as an unexpressed desire of the delight of existence and this desire is the first seed of what afterwards appears as the sense-mind. The gods thus find out a means of building up the existent, the conscious being, out of the subconscient darkness; they find it in the heart and bring it out by the growth of thought and purposeful impulsion, pratīṣyā, by which is meant mental desire as distinguished from the first vague desire that arises out of the subconscient in the merely vital movements of nature. The conscious existence which they thus create is stretched out as it were horizontally between two other extensions; below is the dark sleep of the subconscient, above is the luminous secrecy of the superconscient. These are the upper and the lower ocean.

This Vedic imagery throws a clear light on the similar symbolic images of the Puranas, especially on the famous symbol of Vishnu sleeping after the pralaya on the folds of the snake Ananta upon the ocean of sweet milk. It may perhaps be objected that the Puranas were written by superstitious Hindu priests or poets who believed that eclipses were caused by a dragon eating the sun and moon and could easily believe that during the periods of non-creation the supreme Deity in a physical body went to sleep on a physical snake upon a material ocean of real milk and that therefore it is a vain ingenuity to seek for a spiritual meaning in these fables. My reply would be that there is in fact no need to seek for such meanings; for these very superstitious poets have put them there plainly on the very surface of the fable for everybody to see who does not choose to be blind. For they have given a name to Vishnu’s snake, the name Ananta, and Ananta means the Infinite; therefore they have told us plainly enough that the image is an allegory and that Vishnu, the all-pervading Deity, sleeps in the periods of non-creation on the coils of the Infinite. As for the ocean, the Vedic imagery shows us that it must be the ocean of eternal existence and this ocean of eternal existence is an ocean of absolute sweetness, in other words, of pure Bliss. For the sweet milk (itself a Vedic image) has, evidently, a sense not essentially different from the madhu, honey or sweetness, of Vamadeva’s hymn.

Thus we find that both Veda and Purana use the same symbolic images; the ocean is for them the image of infinite and eternal existence. We find also that the image of the river or flowing current is used to symbolise a stream of conscious being. We find that Saraswati, one of the seven rivers, is the river of inspiration flowing from the Truth-consciousness. We have the right then to suppose that the other six rivers are also psychological symbols.”  

Next, let us understand the occult symbology of योगनिद्र(yoganidra – yogic sleep). Technically it is a kind of अनन्त शयन (ananta śayana – boundless hibernation) experiencing the spiritual state of सुषुप्ति तुर्ये / துரியச் சுழுத்தி (suṣupti turye/ thuriyach suzhuthi – sleep in trance) also referred as the state of निर्विकल्प समाधि (nirvikalpa samādhi – non-imaginative atonement).  Please remember, that the episode narates the योगनिद्र(yoganidra – yogic sleep) of Lord महा विष्णु (mahā viṣṇu) during the महा प्रलय काल (mahā pralaya kāla – grand dissolution epoch). According to theogenisis, the ब्रह्माण्द सृष्टि  (brahmāṇḍa sṛṣṭi - cosmic manifestation) is a product of ब्रह्म सङ्कल्प / विकल्पन (brahma saṅkalpa / vikalpana – Divine volition / imagination) during the स्वप्न तुर्ये / துரியக் கனவு (svapna turye / thuriyak kanavu – dream in trance) also referred to as the state of सविकल्प समाधि (savikalpa samādhi – imaginative atonement) while ब्रह्माण्ड प्रलय (brahmāṇḍa pralaya – cosmic dissolution) corresponds to ब्रह्म  निर्विकल्प (brahma nirvikalpa – divine non-imagination) or the स्वप्नस्य विनय / प्रव्लय (svapnasya vinaya/pravlaya – withdrawal / collapse of dream). In fact, etymologically speaking, the Sanskrit term प्रलय (pralaya - dissolution)  being derived from the terms लय/ लीन (laya/ līna – to withdraw/absorb) and प्र (pra – away) literally means “to dissolve away”.

In modern cosmological terms, महा सृष्टि (mahā sṛṣṭi – cosmic manifestation) & महा प्रलय (mahā pralaya – cosmic dissolution) respectively corresponding to the Big Bang/Expanse from the कालरन्ध्र केवलत्व  (kālarandhra kevalatva  - black hole singularity) and the eventual Big Crunch/Contraction  back into the same. The काल /अदृश्य शक्ति (kāla / adṛśya śakti – latent / dark energy) undlelying the कालरन्ध्र केवलत्व  (kālarandhra kevalatva - black hole singularity) is what is theologized in the वैदिक संप्रदाय (vaidika saṃpradāya – vedic tradition)  as the रात्रि देवि (rātri devi – night goddess) and as the काली देवि (kālī devi - dark goddess) in the तान्त्रिक संप्रदाय (tāntrika saṃpradāya – tantric tradition) and as their integrated version is the कालरात्रि (kālarātri – dark night) in the पौराणिक संप्रदाय (paurāṇika saṃpradāya – puranic tradition). For example, the रात्रिसूक्तम् (rātrisūktam)  is a famous मन्त्र (mantra - hymn) euologizing the Goddess occurring both in the ऋग्वेद (ṛgveda) as well as in the देवीमहात्म्यम् (devīmahātmyam)

Original	Transliteration	Translation
ॐ रात्री व्यख्यदायती पुरुत्रा देव्यक्षभिः। विश्वा अधि क्ष्रियोऽधित॥	oṃ rātrī vyakhyadāyatī purutrā devyakṣabhiḥ। viśvā adhi kṣriyo'dhita॥	The Divine Night approaching has looked forth in many places with her eyes. She has put on all glories. -translation by R.L. Kashyap
Sanskrit Reference: ऋग्वेद (ṛgveda) (10.127.1)

This काल /अदृश्य शक्ति (kāla / adṛśya śakti – latent / dark energy) represents the अव्यक्त तन्मात्र (avyakta tanmātra – unmanifest potential) from which emerges all phenomenal manifestations. In other words, she is the दिव्य गर्भ (divya garbha - divine womb) of all manifestations and hence another famous ऋग्वेद मन्त्र (ṛgveda mantra) contemplates Her thus:

Original	Transliteration	Translation
ह्वयाम्यग्निं प्रथमं स्वस्तये ह्वयामि मित्रावरुणाविहावसे । ह्वयामि रात्रीं जगतो निवेशनीं ह्वयामि देवं सवितारमूतये॥	hvayāmyagniṃ prathamaṃ svastaye hvayāmi mitrāvaruṇāvihāvase । hvayāmi rātrīṃ jagato niveśanīṃ hvayāmi devaṃ savitāramūtaye॥	First I invoke Agni for our happy state. I invoke Mitra and Varuna to guard the Yagna I invoke the night, the support of the mobile world I invite Savitir for our increase. -translation by R.L. Kashyap
Sanskrit Reference: ऋग्वेद (ṛgveda) (1.35.1)

Just as according to modern quantum physics, an anti-particle has its polar counter part as a particle, the polar counter of रात्रि देवि (rātri devi – night goddess) corresponding to अविद्या शक्ति (avidyā śakti – nescient force) has its  polar counter in उशा देवी (uśādevī – goddess of dawn) corresponding to विद्या शक्ति (vidyā śakti – conscient force). The whole world which was hidden within the confines of काल शक्ति सागर / क्षेत्र (kāla śakti sāgara/ kṣetra – dark energy ocean/field) emerges into limelite as the  दृष्ट विश्व (dṛṣṭa viśva – visible universe). Again, as explained by Sri Aurobindho:

 “For the world as we see it has come out of the darkness concealed in darkness, the deep and abysmal flood that covered all things, the inconscient ocean, apraketaṃ salilam (X.129.3); in that non-existence the seers have found by desire in the heart and thought in the mind that which builds up the true existence. This non-existence of the truth of things, asat, is the first aspect of them that emerges from the inconscient ocean; and its great darkness is the Vedic Night, rātrīṃ jagato niveśanīṃ (1.35.1), which holds the world and all its unrevealed potentialities in her obscure bosom. Night extends her realm over this triple world of ours and out of her in heaven, in the mental being, Dawn is born who delivers the Sun out of the darkness where it was lying concealed and eclipsed and creates the vision of the supreme Day in the non-existence, in the Night, asati ketum (1.124.11). It is therefore in these three realms that the battle between the Lords of Light and the Lords of the Ignorance proceeds through its continual vicissitudes”.

Of course, महा माया शक्ति (mahā māyā śakti) through its dual aspects of आवरण शक्ति (āvaraṇa śakti – conceling force) & विक्षेप शक्ति (vikṣepa śakti – projective force) seamlessly manages the state transitions between रात्रि (rātri – night) & उशा (uśā – dawn).  In पौराणिक संप्रदाय (paurāṇika saṃpradāya – puranic tradition) these two phases are theologized as काली देवि (kālī devi - dark goddess) & सरस्वती / प्रभावती (sarasvatī / prabhāvatī – wisdom/luminous  goddess). In the Glory of the Divine Mother (Devi Mahatmya), Sri S Sankaranarayanan further explains thus: 

“From inconscient, all the consciousness has sprung up: from the deluge and dissolutio, laya, the creation is manifested: from darkness light has come and from the Night the day dawns. If day is the symbol of divine illumination, night is the symbol of the force of manifestation of that illumination which she keeps in her hidden. All the creation she holds in her as the seed and helps the world towards manifestation and she is the base, the repository of all unmanifested worlds”. 

The revered scholar further quotes the वेद गुपार्थ (veda gupārtha – vedic esoteric meaning) provided by Sri Kapali Sastri in his famous सिद्धाञ्जन भाष्य (siddhāñjana bhāṣya – magic-medicinal commentary) on the above quoted ऋग्वेद (ṛgveda) (1.35.1)

Original	Transliteration	Translation
अनन्तर्निहिहितसर्वसृष्टिजर्भ जगदाविष्कारप्रयोजिका अनाविष्कृतसमस्तजगधारभूता॥	anantarnihihitasarvasṛṣṭijarbha jagadāviṣkāraprayojikā anāviṣkṛtasamastajagadhārabhūtā॥
Sanskrit Reference: सिद्धाञ्जन भाष्य (siddhāñjana bhāṣya) (1.35.1)

And please recollect that such state transitions between  part of recurrent cycles of ब्रह्माण्ड विक्षेप (brahmāṇḍa vikṣepa – cosmic projection/emergence) as the Big Bang and the ब्रह्माण्ड विकर्ष (brahmāṇḍa vikarṣa – cosmic withdrawl) as the Big Crunch is part and parcel of the पञ्चमहा कृत्य (pañcamahā kṛtya – fivefold cosmic consciousness) perfomed by Lord தில்லை நடராஜர் (tillai naṭarājar – Lord of dance at Thillai).  In the शाक्त संप्रदाय (śākta saṃpradāya) the same is theologized as the कालिका ताण्डव (kālikā tāṇḍava) of Goddess ஸ்ரீ தில்லை காலி (srī tillai kāli). In fact, the महाकाल चक्र (mahākāla cakra – cosmic time cycle) underlying the पञ्चमहा कृत्य (pañcamahā kṛtya – fivefold cosmic action)  is what is theologized as the श्री कालभैरव (śrī kālabhairava) & श्री कालभैरवी (śrī kālabhairavī) in the शैवमत संप्रदाय  (śaivamata saṃpradāya – shaiva theological tradition) & शाक्तमत  मतसंप्रदाय (śāktamata  matasaṃpradāya – shakta theological tradition) respectively. Interestingly, the Sanskrit term काल (kāla) has dual meanings, it denotes both ‘श्याम / कृष्ण (śyāma / kṛṣṇa  - black/dark)’ as well as  ‘समय (samaya - time)’ . That is beauty of the highly polymorphic Sanskrit language!

 In fact, according to recent research in modern astrophysics, it is speculated by many scientists that काल शक्ति सागर / क्षेत्र (kāla śakti sāgara/ kṣetra – dark energy ocean/field)  is the cause of कालस्य प्रवाह (kālasya pravāha – flow of time), popularly known as the “arrow of time”. For example, in the famous article Time arrow is influenced by the dark energy published by eminent scientists A. E. Allahverdyan and V. G. Gurzadyan in the famous “Physical Review” journal:

  “The arrow of time and the accelerated expansion are two fundamental empirical facts of the universe. We advance the viewpoint that the dark energy (positive cosmological constant) accelerating the expansion of the universe also supports the time asymmetry. It is related to the decay of metastable states under generic perturbations, as we show on example of a microcanonical ensemble. These states will not be metastable without dark energy. “

महिशासुर मर्दिन् (mahiśāsura mardin - demonic Mahisha destruction)

With this understanding on प्रथम चरित (prathama carita – first episode) let’s now procced to the महिशासुर मर्दिन् (mahiśāsura mardin - demonic Mahisha destruction).  As the name indicates, the episode of महिशासुर मर्दिन् (mahiśāsura mardin - demonic Mahisha destruction) is the demonstration of the great spiritual message of सत्यमेव जयते (satyameva jayate - triumph of truth) through the disciplining process of विद्ध्वेश भक्ति (vidveśa bhakti – offensive devotion).  Here, the villain of the story is महिशासुर (mahiśāsura – buffalo demon) while the hero (heroine) of the story is Goddess श्री दुर्गा (śrī durgā).

According to the legend, a demon-king by name महिशासुर (mahiśāsura – buffalo demon) went to the sacred सुमेरु पर्वत (sumeru parvata – Sumeru Mountain / Axis Mundi) and performed उत्तम तपस् (uttama tapas – supreme austerity/penance) contemplating the form of his इष्ट देवता (iṣṭa devatā – chosen deity) in his heart for a very long duration of almost 10,000 years as testified in the श्रीदेवीभगवतमहापुराण (śrīdevībhagavatamahāpurāṇa).  Impressed by his dedication, श्री ब्रह्मदेव (śrī brahmadeva) appeared before the असुर (asura - demon) and blessed him with महा सिद्धि (mahā siddhi – great potencies) including the special boon of अस्तृति (astṛti - invincibility) such that he cannot be defeated by any नर (nara - male). Thus, we find that, similar to the earlier account here also the असुर (asura - demon) was a महा तपस्विन् (mahā tapasvin – supreme ascetic) who was blessed by none other the Divinity itself. In fact, the very birth of the असुर (asura - demon)   was a result of the तीव्र तपस्य (tīvra tapasya – severe penance) including the sacred पञ्चाग्नि होत्र (pañcāgni hotra – fivefold five sacrifice) that was very piously observed by his father by name रम्भ (rambha) also known as रक्तबीज (raktabīja). Before we proceed further with the rest of the story, I would like to recall that from a esoteric perspective, there is occult yogic significance for the concepts of सुमेरु पर्वत (sumeru parvata – Sumeru Mountain / Axis Mundi) & पञ्चाग्नि होत्र (pañcāgni hotra – fivefold five sacrifice)  which are related to arousing the कुण्डलिनी शक्ति (kuṇḍalinī śakti – biomagnetic energy).     

However, महिशासुर (mahiśāsura – buffalo demon), soon after obtaining such a powerful वर (vara – boon),  was blinded by गर्व (garva - arrogance), lost all sense of humility, kindness & righteousness and unleashed a reign of terror across the three worlds. He and his army including his two trusted officers चिक्सुर (ciksura) &  ताम्र (tāmra) attacked innocent, humans and even देवेन्द्र (devendra), कुबेर (kubera), वरुण (varuṇa), सूर्य (sūrya), चन्द्र (candra) and other देवाः (devāḥ - gods) were not spared. Unfortunately, because of the the boon given to him, even the  पवित्र त्रिमूर्ति (pavitra trimūrti – holy trinity) viz. ब्रह्म (brahma), विष्णु (viṣṇu) & रुद्र (rudra) could not directly come to their  rescue.

   In order to set things right and re-enforce the धर्म (dharma- righteousness), the परब्रह्मम् (parabrahmam – absolute divinity) theologize as श्री आदिपराशक्ति (śrī ādiparāśakti) in the शाक्त मत संप्रदाय (śākta mata saṃpradāya – Theological tradition of Shakti)  took the  महा विभव अवतार (mahā vibhava avatāra - supreme glorious incarnation) as माता श्री दुर्गा देवी (mātā śrī durgā devī)  Before proceeding further, let us understand the glory of the Goddess दुर्गादेवी (durgādevī), whose पराक्रम (parākrama - valour) is glorified in various sacred texts including श्री ललितासहस्र नामवलि (śrī lalitāsahasra nāmavali) which is part of the ब्रह्माण्ड पुराण (brahmāṇḍa purāṇa), दुर्गा सप्तशतिका(durgā saptaśatikā)  better known as देवीमहात्म्यम् (devīmahātmyam) which is part of the मार्कण्डेय महापुराण (mārkaṇḍeya mahāpurāṇa),  भवानी नाम सहस्र  स्तुति (bhavānī nāma sahasra  stuti) which is part of the रुद्रयामल तन्त्र (rudrayāmala tantra), दुर्गा सहस्रनाम स्तोत्रम् (durgā sahasranāma stotram)  which is part of the तन्त्रराज तन्त्र (tantrarāja tantra), श्रीदेवीभगवतमहापुराण (śrīdevībhagavatamahāpurāṇa) etc.

In the श्री ललितासहस्र नामवलि (śrī lalitāsahasra nāmavali)  for instance, दुर्गा(durgā) is the 190^th नाम (nāma - name) about which भास्करराय (bhāskararāya) in his famous commentary on the same, explains thus:

 “The Mark. Pr. and the Lakshmi Tantra of the Pancaratra say, "In that place I am going to kill a great Daitya named Durgama, hence my name shall be Durga.' This is the goddess who resides in the place called Sannati on the bank of the river, Bhlmaratlri. The word Durga. is explained in the Devi Pr. : " Indra, and other Devas were delivered from mental and physical fear, in difficulty and in battle, hence (Devi) is called Durga (i.e., deliverer)." This Devi, solicited by king Subahu, who begged a boon of her, established herself under this name at Benares. This story also occurs in the De. Bhag. Pr. According to this a nine year old girl also is called Durga”.

Again,  श्री देवी भागवत महा पुराण (śrī devī bhāgavata mahā purāṇa), in chapter 23 eulogizes the goddess thus: 

 "The king Subâhu, seeing them dead in the battlefield became very glad and began to praise and sing hymns in honour of Durgâ Devî the Destroyer of all difficulties. I bow to the auspicious Goddess Jagaddhâtrî, again and again; I bow to the Bhagavatî Durgâ the bestower of all desires; I always bow down to Her Who is auspicious, peace giving, and the Higher Vidyâ. O Mother! O Giver of salvation! O Auspicious One! You are pervading the whole Universe, O World Mother! and Upholder of the Universe! I bow down to Thee”.

Of course, the most comprehensive account on the esoteric episode of the महिशासुर मर्दिन् (mahiśāsura mardin - demonic Mahisha destruction) is provided in the chapters 2,3, & 4 forming part of the मध्यम चरित (madhyama carita) in the देवीमहात्म्यम् (devīmahātmyam) and even more elaborately in the 5^th book of श्रीदेवीभगवतमहापुराण (śrīdevībhagavatamahāpurāṇa)

Let’s get back to the story now. In order to solve the problem, All the देवाः (devāḥ - gods) including the  देवी (devi - goddess) including त्रिदेव दम्पति (trideva dampati – triple couple deities) emerged as the समाहित महा शक्ति (samāhita mahā śakti – integrated cosmic force) by aggregating (combining) the spiritual energies from all forms of divine sources including  त्रिदेव दम्पति (trideva dampati – triple couple deities) viz. उमा (umā) & महेश्वर (maheśvara), सरस्वती (Sarasvatī) & ब्रह्मदेव (brahmadeva) & लक्ष्मी (lakṣmī) & नरायण (narāyaṇa). collectively discussed and decided to collectively synergze by consolidating all their individual energies into universal cosmic force, as  explained  in the following verses from श्रीदेवीभगवतमहापुराण (śrīdevībhagavatamahāpurāṇa)

Original	Transliteration	Translation
अद्य सर्वसुराणां वै तेजोभी रूपसम्पदा। अत्पन्ना चेद्वररोहा सा हन्यात्तं रणे बलात्॥ हयारिं वरदृप्तं च मायशतचिशारदम्। हन्त्युं योग्या भवेन्नारी सक्त्यंशैर्निर्ता हि नः॥ प्रात्यन्तु च तेजांशान्स्त्रियोऽस्माकं तथा पुनः। उत्पन्नैस्तैश्च तेजोंशैस्तेजोराशिर्भवेद्यथ॥ आयुधानि व्यं दद्मः सर्वेरुद्र पुरोगमाः। तस्यै सर्वाणि दिव्यानि त्रिशूलादिनि यानि च॥	adya sarvasurāṇāṃ vai tejobhī rūpasampadā। atpannā cedvararohā sā hanyāttaṃ raṇe balāt॥ hayāriṃ varadṛptaṃ ca māyaśataciśāradam। hantyuṃ yogyā bhavennārī saktyaṃśairnirtā hi naḥ॥ prātyantu ca tejāṃśānstriyo'smākaṃ tathā punaḥ। utpannaistaiśca tejoṃśaistejorāśirbhavedyatha॥ āyudhāni vyaṃ dadmaḥ sarverudra purogamāḥ। tasyai sarvāṇi divyāni triśūlādini yāni ca॥	Hence if some beautiful female Deity be now created out of the collective energy and form of the Saktis of each of the Devas, then that Lady would be able easily to destroy that Demon by sheer force. The Lady Deity then sprung from the collective energy of ours, would at once be able to destroy that Mahisa, elated on his getting the power, though he is skilled in hundreds of Mayas (magics). Therefore ask ye now all, with your wives respectively, boons from that portion which resides in you all in the form of Fiery Energy, that the collected energy thus manifested may assume the from of a Lady. We will then offer unto Her, all the Divine weapons, the tridents, etc. , that belong to us. - translation by Dr. Kethu Balachandrasekhar
Sanskrit Reference: श्रीदेवीभगवतमहापुराण (śrīdevībhagavatamahāpurāṇa). (5.8)

Accordingly each देवता (devatā - deity) contributed to this noble cause, its विशेष वर्ण (viśeṣa varṇa – special color) to the newly emergent प्रकाशक शक्ति (prakāśaka śakti – luminent force).  For exmaple, from Lord ब्रह्म  (brahma) emanated fiery red light, from परमशिव (paramaśiva) emerged silivery white beam while from (mahāviṣṇu) radiated blue flame. Similarly from other divinities. All these energies were fused (similar to nuclear) fusion inro the ब्रह्माण्ड तेजोऽग्नेः परा शक्ति (brahmāṇḍa tejo'gneḥ parā śakti –supreme cosmic force of  thermo-luminence) theologized as श्री विष्णु दुर्ग (śrī viṣṇu durga) who is an incarnation of श्री माहलक्ष्मी (śrī māhalakṣmī). Thus, Her शुद्ध ज्ञान ज्योतिर् देह / சுத்த ஞான ஒளி உடல் (śuddha jñāna jyotir deha – pure body of gnostic light) emerged as the emodiment of सकलकल्याण गुणाः (sakalakalyāṇa guṇāḥ - all benevelent qualities) within Herself. And infact that is why the देवी (devī - goddess) is glorified with the दिव्यनाम श्री महालक्ष्म्याः (divyanāma śrī mahālakṣmyāḥ – divine name of Sri Mahalakkshmi). Every organ in Her emerged as a divine aggregation of spiritual energies. This is very beautifully summarized in the following verses from देवीमहात्म्यम् (devīmahātmyam).

Original	Transliteration	Translation
इत्थं निशम्य देवानां वचांसि मधुसूदनः। चकार कोपं शंभुश्च भ्रुकुटि कुटिलाननौ॥ ततोऽतिकोप पूर्णस्य चक्रिणो वदनतत्ततह। निश्चक्राम महत्तेजो ब्रह्मणः शंकर्स्य च॥ अन्येषां चैव देवाणां शक्रादीनां शरीरतः। निर्गतं सुमहत् तेजस्तच्चैक्यं समगच्छत॥ अतीव तेजसह कूटं ज्वलनतमिव पर्वतम्। ददृश्स्ते सुरास्तत्र ज्वालाव्याप्त दिगन्तरम्॥ अतुलं तत्र तत्तेजः सर्वदेव शरीरजम्। एकस्थं तदभूत्रारी व्याप्त लोकत्रयं त्विषा॥	tato'tikopa pūrṇasya cakriṇo vadanatattataha। niścakrāma mahattejo brahmaṇaḥ śaṃkarsya ca॥ anyeṣāṃ caiva devāṇāṃ śakrādīnāṃ śarīrataḥ। nirgataṃ sumahat tejastaccaikyaṃ samagacchata॥ atīva tejasaha kūṭaṃ jvalanatamiva parvatam। dadṛśste surāstatra jvālāvyāpta digantaram॥ atulaṃ tatra tattejaḥ sarvadeva śarīrajam। ekasthaṃ tadabhūtrārī vyāpta lokatrayaṃ tviṣā॥	Having thus heard the laments of the celestials, the annihilator of demon Madhu(Viṣhṇu) and Śhiva, became angry, and knit their eyebrows. From the face of Vishnu the wielder of weapons, brimming with fury and from that of Brahma and Shiva a great effulgence emerged. From the bodies of other celestials like Indra, great effulgence emerged and it all unified into a mass. The celestials beheld lofty peak of effulgence appearing like a fiery volcano whose blazes whose blazes were touching the quarters. The unified effulgence is nothing but conscious principle in concentrated form. Since it is the power (Shakti) it is represented as a woman here. - translation by Dr. Kethu Balachandrasekhar
Sanskrit Reference: देवीमहात्म्यम् (devīmahātmyam) (2.9-13)

Moreover, in order to aid her in the battle, she was equipped with the consolidated ammunition and weaponry from all the देवाः (devāḥ - gods) including the famous त्रिशूल (triśūla - trident) from परमशिव (paramaśiva), सुदर्शन चक्र (sudarśana cakra – sharpedged discuss) from महा विष्णु (mahā viṣṇu),  etc.  Eventually, with all these divine armoury and weapons, the goddess, confronted the असुराः (asurāḥ - demons) and finaly after long verbal and physical combat, महिशासुर (mahiśāsura – buffalo demon) who was not only infected by गर्वर अहङ्कार (garvara ahaṅkāra – haughty arrogance) but also by कामानल (kāmānala - lust) was defeated in the महाविभव अवतार पराशक्तेः (mahāvibhava avatāra parāśakteḥ –  glorious divine incarnation of supreme energy)

शुंभश्चनिशुंभ भङ्गयोः (śuṃbhaścaniśuṃbha bhaṅgayoḥ - defeat of śumbha & niśumbha)

    With this basic understanding on the महिशासुर मर्दिन् (mahiśāsura mardin - demonic Mahisha destruction) by Goddess माता श्री दुर्गादेवी (mātā śrī durgādevī) we shall move on to the उत्तम चरित (uttama carita – final episode) very beautifully in the देवीमहात्यम् (devīmahātyam). This story deals with the mythological event of शुम्भ च निशुम्भ  भङ्गयोः (śumbha ca niśumbha bhaṅgayoḥ - defeat of śumbha & niśumbha) by Goddess माता श्री महाकाली (mātā śrī mahākālī) who is considered to be the महा विभव अवतार (mahā vibhava avatāra – supreme glorious incarnation) of Holy Mother श्री सरस्वती देवी (śrī sarasvatī devī). The main villains here getting defeated at Her hands are शुंभ (śuṃbha) & निशुंभ (niśuṃbha).

Etymologically, शुंभ (śuṃbha) is derived from the root verb √शुम्भ् (śuṃbh- shining). is synonymous to the term देव (deva) which in turn is derived from the root ‘दिव् (div – to shine) ‘ . Please remember that ideally speaking, अहङ्कार तत्त्व (ahaṅkāra tattva –self arrogating principle)  is actually a positive principle only .However, as the popular proverb - ‘All that glitters is not gold’ goes, the दीप्यते  (dīpyate  - shine) associtated शुंभ (śuṃbha) is not based on  the विज्ञानस्य प्रकाश  (vijñānasya prakāśa  - light of wisdom) but is rather a blinding glare.. In esoteric psychological terms, शुंभ (śuṃbha) represents the अस्मिता / अहङ्कार तत्त्व (asmitā / ahaṅkāra tattva – egoism/self arrogating principle) dominated by the मूल मल (mūla mala – root fetter) called आणव (āṇava - finitude). As the eminent scholar S. Sankaranarayana explains in his famous book “Glory of the Divine Mother” , unlike in the case of देव (deva),  the light of शुंभ (śuṃbha) is not powered by the Sun of Truth but is a “reflection of their stupendous ego”.  While शुंभ (śuṃbha) represents the विषयिन् अस्मितायाः (viṣayin asmitāyāḥ - subject of egoism), his younger brother निशुंभ  (niśuṃbha) represents विषय ममतायाः (viṣaya mamatāyāḥ - object of egotism).  In other words, the latter is ममता/ममकार तत्त्व (mamatā/mamakāra tattva – egotisms/selfishness principle).   

    With this understanding of the esoteric meaning behind the charecterization of शुंभ (śuṃbha) & निशुंभ  (niśuṃbha), let us jumpstart into the actual story.  Fortunately for us, the gist of the whole episode is very crisply summarized by श्री व्यास महऋषि (śrī vyāsa mahaṛṣi) in the following verses of श्रीदेवीभगवतमहापुराण (śrīdevībhagavatamahāpurāṇa)

Original	Transliteration	Translation
व्यास उवाच शृणु राजन्प्रचक्ष्यामि देव्याश्चारितमुतमम्। सुखदं सर्वजंतुनां सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्॥ यथा शुम्भो निशुम्भोश्च भ्रात्रौ बलवत्त्रौ। मभुवतुर्महावीरौ वदह्यौ पुरुषैः किल॥ बहुसेनावृतौ शूरौ देवानाम् दुःखदौ सदा। दुराजारौ मदोस्तिक्तौ बहुदानवंस्युतौ॥ हतावम्बिकया तौ तु संग्रामेऽतीव दारुण। देवानाम् च हितार्थाय सर्वैः परिचरैः सः॥ चण्डमुण्डौ महाभाहु रक्तबीजोऽतिदारुणः। धूम्रलोचननामा च निहतास्ते रणागणे॥	vyāsa uvāca śṛṇu rājanpracakṣyāmi devyāścāritamutamam। sukhadaṃ sarvajaṃtunāṃ sarvapāpapraṇāśanam॥ yathā śumbho niśumbhośca bhrātrau balavattrau। mabhuvaturmahāvīrau vadahyau puruṣaiḥ kila॥ bahusenāvṛtau śūrau devānām duḥkhadau sadā। durājārau madostiktau bahudānavaṃsyutau॥ hatāvambikayā tau tu saṃgrāme'tīva dāruṇa। devānām ca hitārthāya sarvaiḥ paricaraiḥ saḥ॥ caṇḍamuṇḍau mahābhāhu raktabījo'tidāruṇaḥ। dhūmralocananāmā ca nihatāste raṇāgaṇe॥	In days of yore, there were two very powerful demons Sumbha and Nisumbha; they were two brothers, strong heroes and invulnerable by the male persons. Those two wicked Asuras were surrounded with numerable Danavas; they tormented always the Devas. Then the Goddess Ambika, for the good of the Devas, killed Sumbha and Nisumbha with all their attendants in a very dreadful battle. In the battlefield, the Devi killed their main assistants Canda Munda and the exceedingly terrible Rakta Bija and Dhfimralocana. - translation by Dr. Kethu Balachandrasekhar
Sanskrit Reference: श्रीदेवीभगवतमहापुराण (śrīdevībhagavatamahāpurāṇa) (5.21.1-5)

In this legend also, the द्वासुरौ (dvāsurau - two demons) after observing तीविर योग तपस्य (tīvira yoga tapasya - severe yogic penance) even without eating food and water for almost an अयुत वर्षाणि (ayuta varṣāṇ - ten thousand years) obtained special boons from Lord श्री ब्रह्मदेव (śrī brahmadeva) that they cannot be killed by any males and even in case of females, they can be killed only by one who is born without any male association – in other words, who does not have a father.  Moreover,  unlike in the first episode where all the धर्मस्य  दैव शक्तयः (dharmasya  daiva śaktayaḥ - divine forces of righteousness) had collaborated to form a united force  (grand fusion) againts the असुराः (asurāḥ - demons), here it was other way around; All the अधर्मस्य असुर शक्तयः (adharmasya asura śaktayaḥ - demonic forces of unrighteousness) had joined hands under the leadership of शुंभासुर (śuṃbhāsura) and his brother निशुंभ (niśuṃbha).  For example, notorious असुराः (asurāḥ - demons) including छण्ड (chaṇḍa), मुण्ड (muṇḍa), धूम्रलोचन (dhūmralocana) & रक्तबीज (raktabīja) joined the two along with their respective armies.       

Now the असुराः (asurāḥ - demons) lead by शुंभासुर (śuṃbhāsura) having obtained such powerful boons and having assimilated themselves as united force, assumed they are invinicible, unleashed their reign of terror for almost a thousand years by taking control over all the त्रिलोक  (triloka – triple worlds) and attacking the देवाः (devāḥ - gods) including इन्द्र (indra),  सूर्य (sūrya), चन्द्र (candra), अग्नि (agni), कुबेर (kubera), यम (yama) , वायु (vāyu) and even other innocent souls.  

Unable to bear the trauma anymore, the देवाः (devāḥ - gods) consulted श्री बृहस्पति  (śrī bṛhaspati) who was their कुलगुरु (kulaguru - clanteacher) and as advised by him, they reached the Himalayas and contemplated on the बीजमन्त्र (bījamantra – seed hymn) associated to the महा विष्णु माया शक्ती (mahā viṣṇu māyā śaktī – supreme force of comsmic measure/illusion) to come to their rescue. In the देवीमहात्यम् (devīmahātyam) this yogic contemplation is what is rendered as the famous देवीसूक्तम् (devīsūktam) – an eulogical masterpiece glorifying the Goddess.  A eulogical similar rendering of poetic masterpiece also occurs in the श्रीदेवीभगवतमहापुराण (śrīdevībhagavatamahāpurāṇa).

In response to their sincere prayers, out of mercy, the देवी (devī - goddess) instanty appeared as श्री अम्बिका देवी (śrī ambikā devī) who was an incarnation of youthful beauty endowed with all सर्व कल्याणगुणाः (sarva kalyāṇaguṇāḥ - all auspiscious qualities).  The देवी (devī - goddess) was emerging from the गिरिगह्वरात् (girigahvarāt  - mountain cave) in order to take her ablutions in the व्योमगङ्गा (vyomagaṅgā - Holy Ganges). The देवी (devī - goddess) then projected out of Herself द्वदेव्यौ (dvadevyau - dual divinities) viz. कौशिकी /गौरी देवी (kauśikī / gaurī devī – silky/fair goddess) &  कालिका देवी (kālikā devī – dark goddess).  श्री अम्बिका देवी (śrī ambikā devī) accomponied by her polar clone कालिका देवी (kālikā devī – dark goddess) proceeded by mounting on a lion to fight with the असुराः (asurāḥ - demons).

   छण्ड (chaṇḍa) & मुण्ड (muṇḍa), who were the first among the असुराः (asurāḥ - demons) to have seen the arrival of the enchantingly beautiful कौशिकी /गौरी देवी (kauśikī / gaurī devī – silky/fair goddess) immediately began to induce शुंभ (śuṃbha) - their clan leader, to take sexual possesion of her. शुंभ (śuṃbha)  who fell to those temptations was driven by lust to possess her. With such lustful desparation, शुंभ (śuṃbha) initially sent his विष्वसित दूत (viṣvasita dūta –  trusted messenger) by name सुग्रीव (sugrīva) to communicate the message of his master’s valour and persuade her on his behalf to become his mistress. His श्रद्ध दूत (śraddha dūta –  loyal messenger) met the देवी (devī - goddess) and conveyed accordingly trying to convince her to accept the wedding proposal.

The देवी (devī - goddess) patiently listened to the salespitch of arrogance conveyed by सुग्रीव (sugrīva) athough knowing the true colours and evil intentions of शुंभ (śuṃbha), yet gave him a fair chance to prove (rather disprove) himself by openly challenging him to directly posses her by fighting her and defeating her in a युद्ध (yuddha - battle). In fact, as the saying goes, while She called a spade, ‘a spade’, she also gave the devil its rightful due. In other words, she did acknowledge the bravery and valour of शुंभ (śuṃbha) recognizing his lordship over the three worlds by defeating the everyody. Of course! There is also an element of sarcasm here, as is very beautifully expressed in the following verses from the देवीमहात्यम् (devīmahātyam)

Original	Transliteration	Translation
देवी उवाच ॥ सत्यमुक्तं त्वया नात्र मिथ्या किंचित् त्वयोदितम्। त्रैलोक्यापतिः शुम्भो निशुंभश्चापि तादृशः॥ किं त्वत्र यत् प्रतिज्ञातं मिथ्या थत् क्रियते कथं। श्रूयतामल्प -बुद्धित्वात् प्रतिज्ञा या कृता पुरा॥ यो मां जयति संग्रामे यो मे दर्प व्यपोहति। यो मे प्रतिबलो लोके स मे भर्त भवष्यति॥ तदागच्छतु शुंभोऽत्र निशुंभो वा महासुरः। मां जित्वा किं चिरेणात्र पाणिं गृहणातु मे लघु॥	devī uvāca ॥ satyamuktaṃ tvayā nātra mithyā kiṃcit tvayoditam। trailokyāpatiḥ śumbho niśuṃbhaścāpi tādṛśaḥ॥ kiṃ tvatra yat pratijñātaṃ mithyā that kriyate kathaṃ। śrūyatāmalpa -buddhitvāt pratijñā yā kṛtā purā॥ yo māṃ jayati saṃgrāme yo me darpa vyapohati। yo me pratibalo loke sa me bharta bhavaṣyati॥ tadāgacchatu śuṃbho'tra niśuṃbho vā mahāsuraḥ। māṃ jitvā kiṃ cireṇātra pāṇiṃ gṛhaṇātu me laghu॥	You have spoken the truth. No falsehood has been uttered by you in this connection. Shumbha is the overlord of the tripple world and Nishumbha too is likewise. But how to falsify the promise formerly made out of immaturity in my mind? Hear the promise made by me long ago. He alone will become my husband who conquers me in the battle, who vanquishes my pride and who is equal to me in strength in the world. And so let Shumbha come here or Nishumbha of great strength. Let them conquer me easily and win my hand, in mairrage; Why dela? - translation by Sankaranarayanan S
Sanskrit Reference: देवीमहात्यम् (devīmahātyam) (5.117-121)

शुंभ (śuṃbha), on hearing the invitation to battle as a response of the देवी (devī - goddess),  consulted his brother निशुंभ (niśuṃbha) and as advised by him was ready to take up the challenge and win her by defeating her in युद्ध (yuddha - battle). Accordingly he summoned his trusted leadership team one by to go with their army and defeat the देवी (devī - goddess). Initially he sent a team lead by धूम्रलोचन (dhūmralocana) who had a humiliating defeat at the hands of the कालिका देवी (kālikā devī – dark goddess).  Next, शुंभ (śuṃbha) commanded the two brothers viz. छण्ड (chaṇḍa) & मुण्ड (muṇḍa) to defeat her.

As the very name धूम्रलोचन (dhūmralocana – smogy vision) even literally indicates From an esoteric philosophical perspective धूम्रलोचन (dhūmralocana)  corresponds to what is referred in the शैव सिद्धान्त दर्शन (śaiva siddhānta darśana)  as the माया मल (māyā mala – delusion fetter) and his defeat corresponds to the removal of अविद्या / विपर्यय ज्ञान (avidyā / viparyaya jñāna – ignorance / perveerted wisdom).  

 From the देव्याः आज्ञा चक्र (devyāḥ ājñā cakra – command center of goddess) which is the मध्यम दिव्यज्ञान चक्षुस्  (madhyama divyajñāna cakṣus – central divine wisdom eye) emerged महा काली (mahā kālī) in order to combat these द्वितय असुरौ  (dvitaya asurau - two demons) and very soon they were too defeated. This fact is testified by the following verses

Original	Transliteration	Translation
उत्थाय च महासिंहं देवी च्ण्डमधावत। गृहीत्वा चास्य केशेषु शिरस्तेनासिनाच्छिनत्॥ अथ मुण्डोऽभ्यधावत् तां दृष्ट्वा चण्डं निपातितम्। तमप्यपातयद् भूमौ सा खड्गाभिहतं रुषा॥	utthāya ca mahāsiṃhaṃ devī cṇḍamadhāvata। gṛhītvā cāsya keśeṣu śirastenāsinācchinat॥ atha muṇḍo'bhyadhāvat tāṃ dṛṣṭvā caṇḍaṃ nipātitam। tamapyapātayad bhūmau sā khaḍgābhihataṃ ruṣā॥	Mounting on the great lion, the Devi rushed at Chanda. Catchih him by the hair, she severed the head with her sword. Seeing Chanda fallen, Munda rushed at her. She felled him too to the ground, striking him with the sword in her wrath. -translation by S.Sankaranarayanan
Sanskrit Reference: देवीमहात्यम् (devīmahātyam) (7.20,21)

    The names of these द्वासुरौ (dvāsurau - two demons) literally mean छण्ड (chaṇḍa – fierce/hot) & मुण्ड (muṇḍa –blunt/cold) respectively and esoterically correspond to the प्रवृत्ति शक्ति (pravṛtti śakti – evolutionary/projective force) & निवृति शक्ति (nivṛti śakti – involutionary/retractive force)  respectively. Again in occult terms of कुण्डलिनी योग शास्त्र (kuṇḍalinī yoga śāstra – science of biomagnetic energy) , they correspond to सूर्यकला / इडकला नाडि (sūryakalā / iḍakalā nāḍi – solar/left channel) & चन्द्रकला / पिङ्गला नाडी (candrakalā / piṅgalā nāḍī – lunar / rear channel) through which the अपान (apāna - inbreath) & प्रण (praṇa – out breath) criss cross as पूरक (pūraka - inhalation) & रेचक (recaka - exhalation) patterns. महा काली (mahā kālī) in such esoteric terms corresponds to the golden middle also called as  अग्नि कला / सुषुम्णा नाडि (agni kalā / suṣumṇā nāḍi – fire plexus / curve-edged channel) while her सिंह वाहन (siṃha vāhana – lion vehicle) corresponds to the हठयोग विद्या (haṭhayoga vidyā – science of violent union) and her खड्ग (khaḍga -sword) corresponds to प्राणायाम (prāṇāyāma – breath control).  Again, the severing of the heads of the द्वासुरौ (dvāsurau - two demons) with the खड्ग (khaḍga -sword) and bringing it to चण्डिका (caṇḍikā) yogically corrsponds to arresting of the पूरक (pūraka - inhalation) & रेचक (recaka - exhalation) and bringing it to केवल कुम्भक (kevala kumbhaka – absolute retention) at the मूलाधार चक्र (mūlādhāra cakra – main base center) of the अग्नि / सुषुम्णा नाडि (agni / suṣumṇā nāḍi – fire / curve-edged channel). In fact, this is exactly why महा काली (mahā kālī) is also honoured by the name ‘श्री चामुण्डी (śrī cāmuṇḍī)’ Thereafter, महा काली (mahā kālī) is also called by the name ‘श्री चामुण्डी (śrī cāmuṇḍī)’. This fact is testified by the following verses

Original	Transliteration	Translation
यस्माच्चण्डं च मुण्डं गृहीत्वा त्वमुपागता। चामुण्डेति ततो लोके ख्याता देवी भविष्यसि॥	yasmāccaṇḍaṃ ca muṇḍaṃ gṛhītvā tvamupāgatā। cāmuṇḍeti tato loke khyātā devī bhaviṣyasi॥	Since you came to me with the (heads of) Chanda and Munda, you shall henceforth be known to this world as Goddess Chamunda. -translation by Dr. Kethu Ramachandrasekar
Sanskrit Reference: देवीमहात्यम् (devīmahātyam) (7.26)

In terms of शुद्धाद्वैतशैवसिद्धान्तदर्शन (śuddhādvaitaśaivasiddhāntadarśana – pure non-dualistic auspiscious accomplishment philosophy), the conquest of च्चण्ड च मुण्ड (caṇḍa ca muṇḍa – Chanda & Munda) corresponds to the anhilation or cancellation of the प्रारब्ध कर्म (prārabdha karma – fructifying effects/actions) by the technical process of कर्म साम्य (karma sāmya – fate equalizing/nullifying) both the accumulated backlogs पुन्य कर्म (punya karma – meritorious act) as well as पाप कर्म (pāpa karma - demeritorius).   This process is referred in Tamil as இரு வினை ஒப்பு (iru vinai oppu – normalizing both acts). This is a pre-requisite for further spiritual progress.  

Finally,  चण्डिका (caṇḍikā) is the महा कुण्डलिनी शक्ति (mahā kuṇḍalinī śakti – supreme biomagnetic energy).  The important point to understand here is that, once the द्वासुरौ (dvāsurau - two demons) viz. छण्ड (chaṇḍa – fierce/hot) & मुण्ड (muṇḍa –blunt/cold) are conquered symbolizing the arrest of पूरक (pūraka - inhalation) & रेचक (recaka - exhalation) and bringing it to the stage of केवल कुम्भक (kevala kumbhaka – absolute retention) at the base of अग्नि कला / सुषुम्णा नाडि (agni kalā / suṣumṇā nāḍi – fire plexus / curve-edged channel), the onus of responsbility shifts to महा कुण्डलिनी शक्ति (mahā kuṇḍalinī śakti – supreme biomagnetic energy) to sublimate मूल मल/ दुष्ट (mūla mala / duṣṭa  – root fetter / villain) called आणव (āṇava - finitude) operating with its dual aspects of अस्मिता / अहङ्कार तत्त्व (asmitā / ahaṅkāra tattva – egoism/self-arrogating principle) & ममता/ममकार तत्त्व (mamatā/mamakāra tattva – egotisms/selfishness principle) symbolized by शुंभ (śuṃbha) & निशुंभ (niśuṃbha) respectively. This process in In terms of शैव सिद्धान्त दर्शन (śaiva siddhānta darśana) is called मल परिपाक (mala paripāka – fetter ripening).  Of course, it is only appropriate for the main hero to tackle the main villains. And this exactly why

Original	Transliteration	Translation
मया त्वात्तोपहृतौ चण्डमुण्डौ महापशू। युध्यक स्वयं शुंभं निशुंभं च हनिप्यासि॥	mayā tvāttopahṛtau caṇḍamuṇḍau mahāpaśū। yudhyaka svayaṃ śuṃbhaṃ niśuṃbhaṃ ca hanipyāsi॥	In this sacrifice of battle I have brought to you two victims, Chanda and Munda. You yourself will slay Chanda and Munda. You yourself will slay Shumba and Nishumbha. -translation by P.Sankaranarayanan
Sanskrit Reference: देवीमहात्यम् (devīmahātyam) (7.24)

 Sri S. Sankaranarayanan in his famous book “The Glory of the Divine Mother (DeviMahatmyam)” gives a very detailed explanation underlying the occult yogic signifcance of these concepts. To quote him:

 “chaṇḍa means fierce and he represents the fierce fire ever burning in the basic centre, mūlādhāra of all beings. The Yogis talk about certain centres or plexuses in the subtle body, springs of consciousness which normally lie dormant in man. By yoga, these centres becomes active; these lotuses as they are picturesquely called, blossom and the dormant faculties and capacities become manifest as the play of consciousness is increasingly felt in these centres. Mūlādhāra is the lower-most centre while sahasrāra in the head is uppermost. While chaṇḍa represents the fierce fire in the Mūlādhāra, muṇḍa represents the head, the moon in the sahasrāra centre which is the seat of illumined mind. Normally, the mūlādhāra fire burns with smoke and the sahasrāra is clouded with mental activities. Instead of being a help, they act as a bar, a hindrance. In sādhana, in the initial stages, the Mūlādhāra and Sahasrāra,  Chaṇḍa  and  Muṇḍa, take the role of the hostiles. When one takes to sādhana, all the impurities come to the surface, all the previous vāsanas and inhibitions are brought to light.  Mūlādhāra hinders the sādhana by throwing out the passions and activities belonging to the lower physical. Similarly,  Sahasrāra, the head is plagued with incessant trivial mental activities which are mistaken for a healthy state of mind. Mūlādhāra and Sahasrāra,  Chaṇḍa  and  Muṇḍa, have to be subjugated by breaking the knots, granthis, so that the initial difficulties are tided over and a sure path to progress is laid out. This subjugation is done by chamuṇḍa who is the force of concentrated awareness in the waking state, jāgrat samādhi kalā. An awareness, a consciousness, with one-pointed aim towards progress, with a concentrated effort, can alone by constant rejection and detachment bring about the subjugation of these activities of the lower-physical and the mind which pull one away from the path.  chamuṇḍa abolishes all thinking from the mind, makes it empty to be filled up by the divine descent which happens from the responding  Sahasrāra to the call of the aspiring Mūlādhāra.”  

After the humiliating defeat of द्वितय असुरौ  (dvitaya asurau - two demons) viz. छण्ड (chaṇḍa) & मुण्ड (muṇḍa), another set of very huge army headed by अष्टासुराः (aṣṭāsurāḥ -  eight demons) viz. उदायुध (udāyudha- uprising weapons), कंबू (kaṃbū- plundered), कोटिवीर्य (koṭivīrya – eminenty brave), धौम्र (dhaumra - smoky), कालका (kālakā - dark), दौर्हृदा (daurhṛdā – evil hearted), मौर्य (maurya - destroyer) & कालकेय (kālakeya - dark) were summoned by शुंभ (śuṃbha). In esoteric terms they correspond to the पाशाष्टक (pāśāṣṭaka – eightfold bondages) that are responsible for  जीवस्य बन्धन (jīvasya bandhana – tying/imprisonment of the soul).   In fact, that is why such a बद्धात्मा (baddhātmā – bound soul) is referred as a विशिष्टाद्वैत दर्शन (viśiṣṭādvaita darśana) directly as the ‘बद्ध (baddha – bound)’,  while in the शैव सिद्धान्त दर्शन (śaiva siddhānta darśana), he is referred as a ’प'शु (paśu – calf/behold)’.  In other words, पाशाष्टक (pāśāṣṭaka – eightfold bondages) functions as the अष्टतन्तु पाश (aṣṭatantu pāśa – eight threaded rope) confining the independence of the जीवात्मा (jīvātmā – corporeal soul). The following table maps these पाशाष्टक (pāśāṣṭaka – eightfold bondages). 

 

#	असुरस्य नाम (asurasya nāma – name of demon)	पाश (pāśa – bondage)	Psychological Context
1	उदायुध (udāyudha – uprising weapons)	घृण (ghṛṇa – hatred/malice)	In this context, उदायुध (udāyudha) symbolizes hatred driven by boosted superiority complex. – An extravert
2	कंबू (kaṃbū – plundered/conch)	लज्जा (lajjā - shame)	In this context कंबू (kaṃbū - plundered) symbolizes लज्जा (lajjā - shame) driven by inferiority complex one does not want to come out fo his shell – an introvert.
3	कोटिवीर्य (koṭivīrya – eminently brave)	भय  (bhaya - fear)	In this context कोटिवीर्य (koṭivīrya – eminently brave) symbolizes भय  (bhaya - fear) of losing one’s false (emperical) idenity – Personality.
4	धौम्र (dhaumra - smoky)	शङ्ग  (śaṅga - doubt)	In this context धौम्र (dhaumra - smoky) symbolizes शङ्ग  (śaṅga – doubt /slepticism) due to delusion or lack of confidence
5	कालका (kālakā – dark black)	जिगुप्सा (jigupsā - reproach)	In this context कालका (kālakā – dark black) symbolizes जिगुप्सा (jigupsā – reproach) due to a sense of disgust
6	दौर्हृदा (daurhṛdā – evil hearted)	कुल (kula - clan)	In this context दौर्हृदा (daurhṛdā – evil hearted) symbolizes sectarianism (nepotism) and vested intrest based on pride for one’s specific  कुल (kula - clan)
7	मौर्य (maurya - destroyer)	शीला (śīlā - modesty)	In this context मौर्य (maurya – destroyer) symbolizes शीला (śīlā - modesty)
8	कालकेय (kālakeya - darkness)	जाति  (jāti – caste/genus)	In this context कालकेय (kālakeya - darkness) symbolizes जाति  (jāti – caste/genus)

 

    As I have indicated in the above table, on similar lines of thought,  the अष्टासुराः (aṣṭāsurāḥ -  eight demons) can also be treated as the अष्ट घातकाः (aṣṭa ghātakāḥ - eight killers) because they attempt to murder the inherent divinity of the the soul. The following verses from the कुलार्णवतन्त्र (kulārṇavatantra) enumerates these अष्ट घातकाः (aṣṭa ghātakāḥ - eight killers) thus:

Original	Transliteration	Translation
अनुमनता विश्वसिता निहन्ता क्रयविक्रिय। संस्कार्त जोपहर्ता च खादिताऽष्टौ च घात्काः॥	anumanatā viśvasitā nihantā krayavikriya। saṃskārta jopahartā ca khāditā'ṣṭau ca ghātkāḥ॥	Anumanatā (deciding upon the animal to be killed). Viśvasitā (taking the animal into confidence), nihantā (killer), krayavikriyi (purchaser and seller), saṃskārta (dresser), upahartā (bringing the animal) and khāditā (eaters of the animal flesh) – are the eight kinds of killers. -translation by Prachya Prakasan
Sanskrit Reference: कुलार्णवतन्त्र (kulārṇavatantra) (2.132)

    Please remember that, it is  the अष्टतन्तु पाश (aṣṭatantu pāśa – eight threaded rope)  which is responsible for the आत्मनः उपाधि (ātmanaḥ upādhi – limiting adjunct of the soul) through what is technically called as आनवस्य मल (āṇava mala – impurity of finiteness).  In other words, अणुत्व (aṇutva - minuteness) is superimposed on the जीव (jīva - soul) psychologically reflected through the dual principles viz. अस्मिता / अहङ्कार तत्त्व (asmitā / ahaṅkāra tattva – egoism/self-arrogating principle) & ममता/ममकार तत्त्व (mamatā/mamakāra tattva – egotisms/selfishness principle) symbolized by शुंभ (śuṃbha) & निशुंभ (niśuṃbha). Thus, मोक्ष (mokṣa -release) from the clutches of पाशाष्टक (pāśāṣṭaka – eightfold bondages) is a prerequisite for the जीव (jīva - soul) to attain शिव (śiva). This fact is very clearly testified in the following verses from कुलार्णवतन्त्र (kulārṇavatantra)

Original	Transliteration	Translation
घृणा सङ्क भयं लज्जा जुगुप्सा जेति पङ्चमी। कुलं शीलं तथा जातिरष्टौ पाशाः प्रकीर्त्तताः॥ पाशबद्धः पशुक्षेयः पाशमुक्तो महेश्वरः। तस्मात् पाशहरो यस्तु स गुरुः परमो मतः॥	ghṛṇā saṅka bhayaṃ lajjā jugupsā jeti paṅcamī। kulaṃ śīlaṃ tathā jātiraṣṭau pāśāḥ prakīrttatāḥ॥ pāśabaddhaḥ paśukṣeyaḥ pāśamukto maheśvaraḥ। tasmāt pāśaharo yastu sa guruḥ paramo mataḥ॥	Hatred, doubt, fear, shame, disgust, family disposition, and caste there are the eight bonds – bound by these bonds one is a Pashu. Freed from these bonds one is Shiva. He is the Supreme Guru who removes these bonds. -translation byPrachya Prakasan
Sanskrit Reference: कुलार्णवतन्त्र (kulārṇavatantra) (13.90,91)

    And in order to help काली (kālī)  combat each of them separately, सप्त कन्याः (sapta kanyāḥ - seven virgins), sometimes also referred as सप्त मातृकाः (sapta mātṛkāḥ - seven mothers) viz. ब्रह्मानी (brahmānī), महेश्वरी (maheśvarī), कौमारी (kaumārī), वैष्णवी (vaiṣṇavī), वाराही (vārāhī), नारसिंही (nārasiṃhī) & इन्द्राणी (indrāṇī) joined her.  According to the occult school of मन्त्र योग (mantra yoga), there is a व्यञ्जन (vyañjana - consonant) from the Sanskrit alphabet viz. क् (ka), च (ca),  ट (ṭa), त (ta),  प (pa), य (ya) & ष (ṣa) respectively associated with each of the सप्त मातृकाः (sapta mātṛkāḥ - seven mothers).

    These सप्त मातृकाः (sapta mātṛkāḥ - seven mothers) along with काली (kālī) whose mantric value is अ (a), corresponds to the अष्ट महा शक्त्यः (aṣṭa mahā śaktyaḥ - eight supreme forces) as indicated in the table below. Further, according to तान्त्रिक शास्त्र (tāntrika śāstra – tantric literature)  the अष्ट महा शक्त्यः (aṣṭa mahā śaktyaḥ - eight supreme forces) also correspond to अष्ट भैरव  (aṣṭa bhairava) and their divine consorts. Moreover, each of the भैरवी (bhairavī) among the  अष्ट महा शक्त्यः (aṣṭa mahā śaktyaḥ - eight supreme forces) is technically associated with a सूक्षम चक्र / देह अङ्ग (sūkṣama cakra / deha aṅga – subyle center/body organ) and also a महा सिद्धि (mahā siddhi – special potency)

#	मातृकस्य नाम (mātṛkasya nāma – name of mother)	लक्ष्म्याः नाम (lakṣmyāḥ nāma – name of Lakshmi)	बीज मन्त्र (bīja mantra – seed hymn	भैरव (bhairava)	भैरवी (bhairavī)	महा सिद्धि (mahā siddhi – special potency)	सूक्षम चक्र / देह अङ्ग (sūkṣama cakra / deha aṅga – subyle center/body organ)
1	काली / काल भैरवी (kālī/ kāla bhairavī)	आदि लक्ष्मी (ādi lakṣmī),	क् (ka)	असिताङ्ग (asitāṅga – black limbed)	भैरवी (bhairavī)	अणिमा (aṇimā)	अज्ञा चक्र (ajñā cakra – command center)
2	ब्राह्मी  / ब्रह्मानी (brāhmī  / brahmānī)	धन लक्ष्मी (dhana lakṣmī),	च (ca)	रुरु (ruru - dog)	महाभैरवी (mahābhairavī)	महिमा (mahimā)	मणिपूरक चक्र (maṇipūraka cakra – navel center)
3	महेश्वरी (maheśvarī)	धान्य लक्ष्मी (dhānya lakṣmī),	ट (ṭa)	चन्द्रचूडा (candracūḍā – moon crested)	सिंहभैरवी (siṃhabhairavī)	गरिम (garima)	अनाहत चक्र (anāhata cakra – unstruck sound/heart  center)
4	कौमारी (kaumārī)	गज लक्ष्मी (gaja lakṣmī)	त (ta)	काल (kāla - time)	दूम्रभैरवी (dūmrabhairavī)	लघिमा (laghimā)	विशुद्धि चक्र (viśuddhi cakra – throat centre)
5	वैष्णवी (vaiṣṇavī)	सन्तान लक्ष्मी (santāna lakṣmī)	प (pa)	क्रोध (krodha -enmity)	भीमभैरवी (bhīmabhairavī)	प्राप्ति (prāpti)	तालु / ललना चक्र (tālu / lalanā cakra – palate / tounge center)
6	वाराही (vārāhī)	वीर लक्ष्मी (vīra lakṣmī)	य (ya)	उन्मत्त (unmatta)	उन्मत्त भैरवी (unmatta bhairavī)	प्राखाम्य (prākhāmya)	Drop
7	नारसिंही (nārasiṃhī)	जयलक्ष्मी (jayalakṣmī)	ष (ṣa)	भीषण (bhīṣaṇa)	वसिकरणभरवी (vasikaraṇabharavī)	इष्त्व (iṣtva)	Teacher’s mouth
8	इन्द्राणी (indrāṇī)	विद्या लक्ष्मी (vidyā lakṣmī)	अ (a)	संहार  (saṃhāra)	मोहनभैरवी (mohanabhairavī)	वश्त्व (vaśtva)	Sound

    The following table summarizes as to how each of the अष्टासुराः (aṣṭāsurāḥ -  eight demons) are mapped to अष्ट महा शक्त्यः (aṣṭa mahā śaktyaḥ - eight supreme forces)

	अष्टासुराः (aṣṭāsurāḥ -  eight demons)		अष्ट महा शक्त्यः (aṣṭa mahā śaktyaḥ - eight supreme forces)
#	असुरस्य नाम (asurasya nāma – name of demon)	पाश (pāśa – bondage)	महा सिद्धि (mahā siddhi – special potency)	मातृकस्य नाम (mātṛkasya nāma – name of mother)	लक्ष्म्याः नाम (lakṣmyāḥ nāma – name of Lakshmi)	बीज मन्त्र (bīja mantra – seed hymn
1	उदायुध (udāyudha – uprising weapons)	घृण (ghṛṇa - hatred)	अणिमा (aṇimā)	काली / काल भैरवी (kālī/ kāla bhairavī)	आदि लक्ष्मी (ādi lakṣmī),	क् (ka)
2	कंबू (kaṃbū - plundered)	लज्जा (lajjā - shame)	महिमा (mahimā)	ब्राह्मी  / ब्रह्मानी (brāhmī  / brahmānī)	धन लक्ष्मी (dhana lakṣmī),	च (ca)
3	कोटिवीर्य (koṭivīrya – eminently brave)	भय  (bhaya - fear)	गरिम (garima)	महेश्वरी (maheśvarī)	धान्य लक्ष्मी (dhānya lakṣmī),	ट (ṭa)
4	धौम्र (dhaumra - smoky)	शङ्ग  (śaṅga - doubt)	लघिमा (laghimā)	कौमारी (kaumārī)	गज लक्ष्मी (gaja lakṣmī),	त (ta)
5	कालका (kālakā – dark black)	जिगुप्सा (jigupsā - reproach)	प्राप्ति (prāpti)	वैष्णवी (vaiṣṇavī)	सन्तान लक्ष्मी (santāna lakṣmī),	प (pa)
6	दौर्हृदा (daurhṛdā – evil hearted)	कुल (kula - clan)	प्राखाम्य (prākhāmya)	वाराही (vārāhī)	वीर लक्ष्मी (vīra lakṣmī),	य (ya)
7	मौर्य (maurya - destroyer)	जाति  (jāti - caste)	इष्त्व (iṣtva)	नारसिंही (nārasiṃhī)	जयलक्ष्मी (jayalakṣmī)	ष (ṣa)
8	कालकेय (kālakeya - darkness)	शीला (śīlā - modesty)	वश्त्व (vaśtva)	इन्द्राणी (indrāṇī)	विद्या लक्ष्मी (vidyā lakṣmī)	अ (a)

    Again as listed here,  in certain scriptures, the अष्ट महा शक्त्यः (aṣṭa mahā śaktyaḥ - eight supreme forces) are alternatively theologized as अष्ट लक्ष्मी (aṣṭa lakṣmī) viz.  आदि लक्ष्मी (ādi lakṣmī), धन लक्ष्मी (dhana lakṣmī), धान्य लक्ष्मी (dhānya lakṣmī), गज लक्ष्मी (gaja lakṣmī), सन्तान लक्ष्मी (santāna lakṣmī), वीर लक्ष्मी (vīra lakṣmī), जयलक्ष्मी (jayalakṣmī) & विद्या लक्ष्मी (vidyā lakṣmī) respectively.

    With the instruction of परमशिव (paramaśiva), the ferocious चण्डिका (caṇḍikā) manifested from अंबिका (aṃbikā) and with her emergence, there are नव महा शक्त्यः (nava mahā śaktyaḥ - nine supreme forces) who are collectively also referred as नवदुर्गा (navadurgā)  whose famous नवाक्षरी मन्त्र (navākṣarī mantra – nine syllabled hymn):

Original	Transliteration	Translation
ॐ ऐं हीं क्लीं चामुण्डायै विच्चे।	oṃ aiṃ hīṃ klīṃ cāmuṇḍāyai vicce।
Sanskrit Reference: नवाक्षरी मन्त्र (navākṣarī mantra)

Of course, the नवदुर्गा (navadurgā) are not identified by single list of names as there are different naming conventions followed by different schools. The following table provides a easy reference for such alternate mappings

 

#	बीज मन्त्र (bīja mantra – seed hymn)	Alternate -1 नाम (nāma - name)	Alternate -2 नाम (nāma - name)	Alternate -3 नाम (nāma - name)	Alternate -4 नाम (nāma - name)
1	ऐं (aiṃ)	महाविद्या (mahāvidyā)	शैलपुत्री (śailaputrī)	जया (jayā)	वन दुर्गा (vana durgā)
2	ह्रीं (hrīṃ)	महातन्त्री (mahātantrī)	ब्रह्मचारिनी (brahmacārinī)	विजया (vijayā)	आसुरी दुर्गा (āsurī durgā)
3	क्लीं (klīṃ)	चण्डि (caṇḍi)	चन्द्रघन्टा (candraghanṭā)	बद्रा (badrā)	वाहिनी दुर्गा (vāhinī durgā)
4	चा (cā)	सप्तषती (saptaṣatī)	कूष्माण्डी (kūṣmāṇḍī)	बद्रकाली (badrakālī)	शूलिनी दुर्गा (śūlinī durgā)
5	मुं (muṃ)	मृतुसञ्जीविनी (mṛtusañjīvinī)	स्कन्तमाता (skantamātā)	सुमुखी (sumukhī)	शान्ति दुर्गा (śānti durgā)
6	डा (ḍā)	महाचण्डि (mahācaṇḍi)	कात्यायनी (kātyāyanī)	दुर्मुखी (durmukhī)	शबरि दुर्गा (śabari durgā)
7	यै (yai)	रूपदीपिका (rūpadīpikā)	कालरात्री (kālarātrī)	प्रज्ञ (prajña)	ज्वल दुर्गा (jvala durgā)
8	वि (vi)	चतुःषष्ट् योगिनी (catuḥṣaṣṭ yoginī)	महागौरी (mahāgaurī)	व्याग्रमुखी (vyāgramukhī)	लवन दुर्ग (lavana durga)
9	च्चे (cce)	पराचण्डि (parācaṇḍi)	सिद्धिप्रधा (siddhipradhā)	सिंहमुखी (siṃhamukhī)	दीप दुर्गा (dīpa durgā)

    Let us now look as to how  सप्त मातृकाः (sapta mātṛkāḥ - seven mothers), अष्ट लक्ष्मी (aṣṭa lakṣmī – eight lakshmi) and the नवदुर्गा (navadurgā – nine durga) are concorded into a common matrix.

#	मातृका (mātṛkā)		लक्ष्मी (lakṣmī)		दुर्गा (durgā)
	Name		Name			Name-1	Name-2	Name- 3		Name- 4
1		काली / काल भैरवी (kālī/ kāla bhairavī)	अष्ट लक्ष्मी (aṣṭa lakṣmī)	आदि लक्ष्मी (ādi lakṣmī),	नवदुर्गा (navadurgā)	महाविद्या (mahāvidyā)	शैलपुत्री (śailaputrī)		जया (jayā)	वन दुर्गा (vana durgā)
2	सप्त मातृकाः (sapta mātṛkāḥ)	ब्राह्मी  / ब्रह्मानी (brāhmī  / brahmānī)		धन लक्ष्मी (dhana lakṣmī),		महातन्त्री (mahātantrī)	ब्रह्मचारिनी (brahmacārinī)		विजया (vijayā)	आसुरी दुर्गा (āsurī durgā)
3		महेश्वरी (maheśvarī)		धान्य लक्ष्मी (dhānya lakṣmī),		चण्डि (caṇḍi)	चन्द्रघन्टा (candraghanṭā)		बद्रा (badrā)	वाहिनी दुर्गा (vāhinī durgā)
4		कौमारी (kaumārī)		गज लक्ष्मी (gaja lakṣmī),		सप्तषती (saptaṣatī)	कूष्माण्डी (kūṣmāṇḍī)		बद्रकाली (badrakālī)	शूलिनी दुर्गा (śūlinī durgā)
5		वैष्णवी (vaiṣṇavī)		सन्तान लक्ष्मी (santāna lakṣmī),		मृतुसञ्जीविनी (mṛtusañjīvinī)	स्कन्तमाता (skantamātā)		सुमुखी (sumukhī)	शान्ति दुर्गा (śānti durgā)
6		वाराही (vārāhī)		वीर लक्ष्मी (vīra lakṣmī),		महाचण्डि (mahācaṇḍi)	कात्यायनी (kātyāyanī)		दुर्मुखी (durmukhī)	शबरि दुर्गा (śabari durgā)
7		नारसिंही (nārasiṃhī)		जयलक्ष्मी (jayalakṣmī)		रूपदीपिका (rūpadīpikā)	कालरात्री (kālarātrī)		प्रज्ञ (prajña)	ज्वल दुर्गा (jvala durgā)
8		इन्द्राणी (indrāṇī)		विद्या लक्ष्मी (vidyā lakṣmī)		चतुःषष्ट् योगिनी (catuḥṣaṣṭ yoginī)	महागौरी (mahāgaurī)		व्याग्रमुखी (vyāgramukhī)	लवन दुर्ग (lavana durga)
9		चण्डिका (caṇḍikā)		महा लक्ष्मी (mahā lakṣmī)		पराचण्डि (parācaṇḍi)	सिद्धिप्रधा (siddhipradhā)		सिंहमुखी (siṃhamukhī)	दीप दुर्गा (dīpa durgā)

 After the defeat of these अष्टासुराः (aṣṭāsurāḥ -  eight demons), it was now the turn of रक्तबीजासुर (raktabījāsura) to try his luck in winning the battle. Unlike his predeissors, रक्तबीज (raktabīja) was blessed with a unique हननस्य सिद्धि (hannasya siddhi – potency of multiplication)  according to which from every रक्तस्य बिन्धु (raktasya bindhu -  drop of blood) that spils on the ground from his body, innumerable असुराः (asurāḥ - demons) will emerge from it. In fact, that is why he has acquired the title ‘रक्तबीज (raktabīja – blood seed)’ as every रक्तस्य बिन्धु (raktasya bindhu -  drop of blood) from him served as बीज (bīja - seed) which had the potential to grow as a विशाल वृक्ष (viśāla vṛkṣa- huge tree) generating असङ्ख्य बीजाः (asaṅkhya bījāḥ  - innumerable seeds) themselves.  

In my opinion, from an esoteric perspective, रक्तबीजासुर (raktabījāsura) symbolizes the क्रियमाण कर्म (kriyamāṇa karma – current action) and every such कार्य (kārya - act) is actually like a बीज (bīja) which when planted on the ground has the potential to grow into a विशाल वृक्ष (viśāla vṛkṣa- huge tree) that could generate  असङ्ख्य बीजाः (asaṅkhya bījāḥ  - innumerable seeds) correspondng to आगमि कर्म (āgami karma –pending/future effects).  This hinders the कर्म साम्य (karma sāmya – fate equalizing/nullifying) efforts discussed earlier.

A very fierce battle ensued between the godesses and रक्तबीज (raktabīja) and in that process every time रक्तबीजासुर (raktabījāsura)  got wounded and shed a रक्तस्य बिन्धु (raktasya bindhu -  drop of blood), there was a multiplier effect of demonic-cloinng which becamea huge menace to handle. Hence चण्डिका (caṇḍikā) requested काली (kālī) to swallow every such रक्तस्य बिन्धु (raktasya bindhu -  drop of blood) from the demon before it hits the ground, thereby curbing the multiplier effect. काली (kālī)  did accordingly and very soon रक्तबीजासुर (raktabījāsura) was also defeated. With this the process of कर्म साम्य (karma sāmya – fate equalizing/nullifying) is fully accomplished as the whole of सञ्चित कर्म (sañcita karma - accumulated actions / fate) which is the total of प्रारब्ध कर्म (prārabdha karma – commenced effects),  क्रियमाण कर्म (kriyamāṇa karma – current actions/effects) &आगमि कर्म (āgami karma –pending/future effects).

Finally, after the defeat of all their other leaders, शुंभ (śuṃbha) & निशुंभ (niśuṃbha)  were left with no choice but to directly come and fight and very soon निशुंभ (niśuṃbha) was also defeated and hence शुंभ (śuṃbha)  had to fight all alone. Hence, inorder to have a fair play, चण्डिका (caṇḍikā)  withdrew back all the अष्ट महा शक्त्यः (aṣṭa mahā śaktyaḥ - eight supreme forces) within Herself and fought with शुंभ (śuṃbha) on an one to one basis and finally defeated him. In philosophical terms, as I had already hinted earlier, the defeat of शुंभ (śuṃbha) & निशुंभ (niśuṃbha) corresponds to the ego-crushing exercise of मूल मलपरिपाक (mūla malaparipāka – ripening of root fetter) viz. the  आणव मल (āṇava mala – finitude fetter) by streamlining . अस्मिता / अहङ्कार तत्त्व (asmitā / ahaṅkāra tattva – egoism/self-arrogating principle) & ममता/ममकार तत्त्व (mamatā/mamakāra tattva – egotisms/selfishness principle).

    Many of us would be under the impression that in most of the cases, these असुराः (asurāḥ - demons) did not realize that they were confronting with none other than the महा देव (mahā deva – supreme divinity) and even if they had realized it would probably be only at the fag end of the battle. However, as explained in the sacred scriptures, they were well aware of the fact from the very beginning and willingly resorted to the same, with the realization that such a confronting episode is part of a ब्रह्म लीला (brahma līlā - divine drama). In fact, they also realised that such विद्वेश भक्ति (vidveśa bhakti – confrontational devotion) is a fast track channel to परम मोक्ष (parama mokṣa – grand liberation) from the visious cycle of संसार साहरम् (saṁsāra sāharam – metomopsychic ocean). For example, take the case of उत्तम चरित (uttama carita – final episode) narating the शुम्भ च निशुम्भ  भङ्गयोः (śumbha ca niśumbha bhaṅgayoḥ - defeat of śumbha & niśumbha) that we just discussed. Here somewhere in the middle of the battle, after facing consequtive defeats in the hands of the देवी (devī - goddess), the remaining असुराः (asurāḥ - demons) who managed to run away from the battle-field, went straight to their king शुंभ (śuṃbha)  and warn him that their opponent is no ordinary force and hence advise him to surrender.  However, शुंभ (śuṃbha) is least perturbed by this warning and responds back with a deep philosophical awareness and justification of his decision to continue to fight back untill his last breath. Again this is  poetically documented by श्री व्यास महऋषि (śrī vyāsa mahaṛṣi) in the following verses of श्रीदेवीभगवतमहापुराण (śrīdevībhagavatamahāpurāṇa):

Original	Transliteration	Translation
शुम्भ उवाच॥ मानं कर्वंतु भो मंदा यूयं भगना रणाजिरात्। शींघ्रं गच्छत पातालं जीविताशा बलीयसी॥ दैवाधीनं जगत्सर्वं का चिन्ताऽत्र जये मम। देवास्तथैव ब्रह्माद्या दैवाधीनावयं यथा॥ ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च रुद्रोऽयं यमेऽग्निर्वरुणस्तथा। सूर्यश्चन्द्रस्तथा शक्रः सर्वेदैववशाः किल॥ क चित्ता तर्हि मे मंदा युद्धावि तद्भविष्यति। उद्यमस्तादृशो भूयादृशी भवितव्यता॥ सर्वथैवं विचार्यैव न शोचन्ति बुधाः क्वचित्। सर्वधर्मं न त्यजम्तीह ज्ञानिनो मरनाद्भयात्॥ सुखं दुःखं तथैवायुर्जीवितं मरणम् नृणाम्। काले भवति संप्राप्ते सर्वथा दैवनिर्मितम्॥ ब्रह्मा पतति काले स्वे विष्णुश्च पार्वतिपतिः। नाशङ्गच्छंत्यायुशोंऽते सर्वे देवाः स्वासवाः॥। तथाहमपि कालस्य वशगः सर्वथाऽधुना। नाशं जयं वा गन्तास्मि स्वधर्मपरिपालनात्॥ आहूतोऽप्यनया कामं युद्धायबलया किल। कथं प्लयन्परो जीवेयं शरदां शतम्॥ करिष्याम्यद्य संग्रां यद्भावि तद्भवत्विह। जयो वा मरणं वाऽपि स्वीकारोमि यथा तथा॥ दैवं मिथ्येति विद्वांसे वदन्त्युद्यमवादिनः। युक्तियुक्तं वचस्तेषां ये जानंत्यभिभाषितुम्॥	śumbha uvāca॥ mānaṃ karvaṃtu bho maṃdā yūyaṃ bhaganā raṇājirāt। śīṃghraṃ gacchata pātālaṃ jīvitāśā balīyasī॥ daivādhīnaṃ jagatsarvaṃ kā cintā'tra jaye mama। devāstathaiva brahmādyā daivādhīnāvayaṃ yathā॥ brahmā viṣṇuśca rudro'yaṃ yame'gnirvaruṇastathā। sūryaścandrastathā śakraḥ sarvedaivavaśāḥ kila॥ ka cittā tarhi me maṃdā yuddhāvi tadbhaviṣyati। udyamastādṛśo bhūyādṛśī bhavitavyatā॥ sarvathaivaṃ vicāryaiva na śocanti budhāḥ kvacit। sarvadharmaṃ na tyajamtīha jñānino maranādbhayāt॥ sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ tathaivāyurjīvitaṃ maraṇam nṛṇām। kāle bhavati saṃprāpte sarvathā daivanirmitam॥ brahmā patati kāle sve viṣṇuśca pārvatipatiḥ। nāśaṅgacchaṃtyāyuśoṃ'te sarve devāḥ svāsavāḥ॥। tathāhamapi kālasya vaśagaḥ sarvathā'dhunā। nāśaṃ jayaṃ vā gantāsmi svadharmaparipālanāt॥ āhūto'pyanayā kāmaṃ yuddhāyabalayā kila। kathaṃ playanparo jīveyaṃ śaradāṃ śatam॥ kariṣyāmyadya saṃgrāṃ yadbhāvi tadbhavatviha। jayo vā maraṇaṃ vā'pi svīkāromi yathā tathā॥ daivaṃ mithyeti vidvāṃse vadantyudyamavādinaḥ। yuktiyuktaṃ vacasteṣāṃ ye jānaṃtyabhibhāṣitum॥	Sumbha said: “O Fools! Hold your tongue. You have fled because your desire to live is very strong. So you better go to Patala without any delay. This world is under the control of Fate; so I need not think about Victory. I am under this Fate just as Brahma and other Devas are under it. Brahma, Visnu, Rudra, Yama, Agni, Varuna, Sarya, Candra, and Indra are all under the sway of this Destiny. 0 Fools! Whatever is inevitable will certainly come to pass. What need I think over it then? The effort also comes to be of such a nature as will lead to that ordained by Fate. Thus thinking, the wise never grieve; especially the wise ones never leaves their own Dharma for fear of death. The happiness, pain, longevity, birth and death of all the embodied souls are all determined by Fate when their proper time arrives. See! When the time is over, Brahma, Visnuand Mahadeva the lord of Parvati die away; on the expiration of their terms of lives, Indra and other Devas go to destruction. Similarly I am also completely under the sway of time; so what doubt is there that I, too, will go to destruction when I have observed my own Dharmal This Lady is challenging me to fight of Her own will; how can I fly away and live hundreds of years. I will f1ght today, Let the result come whatever it may. I will gladly take the victory or defeat whatever the case may be. - translation by Dr. Kethu Balachandrasekhar
Sanskrit Reference: श्रीदेवीभगवतमहापुराण (śrīdevībhagavatamahāpurāṇa) (5.27.26-36)