Markandeya Purana — Chapter 87

MkP 87.1

आज्ञप्तास्ते ततो दैत्याश्चण्डमुण्डपुरोगमाः । चतुरङ्गबलोपेता ययुरभ्युद्यतायुधाः

ājñaptāste tato daityāścaṇḍamuṇḍapurogamāḥ / caturaṅgabalopetā yayurabhyudyatāyudhāḥ

Then those daityas, so commanded, headed by Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, went forth with a fourfold army, their weapons raised.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.2

ददृशुस्ते ततो देवीमीषद्धासां व्यवस्थिताम् । सिंहस्योपरि शैलेन्द्रशृङ्गे महति काञ्चने

dadṛśuste tato devīmīṣaddhāsāṃ vyavasthitām / siṃhasyopari śailendraśṛṅge mahati kāñcane

Then they saw the Goddess, faintly smiling, seated upon the lion on a great golden peak of the lord of mountains.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.3

ते दृष्ट्वा तां समादातुमुद्यमं चक्रुरुद्यताः । आकृष्टचापासिधरास्तथान्ये सत्समीपगाः

te dṛṣṭvā tāṃ samādātumudyamaṃ cakrurudyatāḥ / ākṛṣṭacāpāsidharāstathānye satsamīpagāḥ

Seeing her, they made ready an effort to seize her; others, with bows drawn and swords in hand, likewise came near her.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.4

ततः कोपं चकारोच्चैरम्बिका तानरीन् प्रति । कोपेन चास्या वदनं मषीवर्णमभूत्तदा

tataḥ kopaṃ cakāroccairambikā tānarīn prati / kopena cāsyā vadanaṃ maṣīvarṇamabhūttadā

Then Ambikā grew violently angry at those enemies, and with anger her face became the colour of ink.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.5

भ्रुकुटीकुटिलात्तस्या ललाटफलकाद् द्रुतम् । काली करालवदना विनिष्क्रान्तासिपाशिनी

bhrukuṭīkuṭilāttasyā lalāṭaphalakād drutam / kālī karālavadanā viniṣkrāntāsipāśinī

Swiftly, from her forehead, curved with a frown, there came forth Kālī, of terrible face, bearing sword and noose.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.6

विचित्रखट्वाङ्गधरा नरमालाविभूषणा । द्वीपिचर्मपरीधाना शुष्कमांसातिभैरवा

vicitrakhaṭvāṅgadharā naramālāvibhūṣaṇā / dvīpicarmaparīdhānā śuṣkamāṃsātibhairavā

Carrying a strange skull-topped staff, adorned with a garland of human (heads), clothed in a tiger's skin, most frightful with her withered flesh,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.7

अतिविस्तारवदना जिह्वाललनभीषणा । निमग्नारक्तनयना नादापूरितदिङ्मुखा

ativistāravadanā jihvālalanabhīṣaṇā / nimagnāraktanayanā nādāpūritadiṅmukhā

with a hugely gaping mouth, terrifying with her lolling tongue, with sunken reddened eyes, filling the quarters with her roar,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.8

सा वेगेनाभिपतिता घतयन्ती महासुरान् । सैन्ये तत्र सुरारीणामभक्षयत तद्वलम्

sā vegenābhipatitā ghatayantī mahāsurān / sainye tatra surārīṇāmabhakṣayata tadvalam

She fell upon (them) with speed, slaying the great asuras, and there in the army of the gods' foes she devoured that force.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.9

पार्ष्णिग्राहाङ्कुशग्राहियोधघण्टासमन्वितान् । समादायैकहस्तेन मुखे चिक्षेप वारणान्

pārṣṇigrāhāṅkuśagrāhiyodhaghaṇṭāsamanvitān / samādāyaikahastena mukhe cikṣepa vāraṇān

Taking up with one hand the elephants, together with their rear-guards, hook-holders, fighting men and bells, she flung them into her mouth.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.10

तथैव योधं तुरगै रथं सारथिना सह । निक्षिप्य वक्त्रे दशनैश्चर्वयन्त्यतिभैरवम्

tathaiva yodhaṃ turagai rathaṃ sārathinā saha / nikṣipya vaktre daśanaiścarvayantyatibhairavam

In just the same way she threw into her mouth a warrior together with his horses, and a chariot with its driver, chewing them with her teeth most horribly.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.11

एकं जग्राह केशेषु ग्रीवायामथ चापरम् । पादेनाक्रम्य चैवान्यमुरसान्यमपोथयत्

ekaṃ jagrāha keśeṣu grīvāyāmatha cāparam / pādenākramya caivānyamurasānyamapothayat

One she seized by the hair, another by the neck; another she trampled with her foot, and another she crushed with her breast.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.12

तैर्मुक्तानि च शस्त्रणि महास्त्राणि तथासुरैः । मुखेन जग्राह रुषा दशनैर्मथितान्यपि

tairmuktāni ca śastraṇi mahāstrāṇi tathāsuraiḥ / mukhena jagrāha ruṣā daśanairmathitānyapi

And the weapons and great missiles released by those asuras she caught in her mouth in fury, and ground them with her teeth.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.13

बलिनां तद्बलं सर्वमसुराणां दुरात्मनाम् । ममर्दाभक्षयच्चान्यानन्यांश्चाताडयत्तथा

balināṃ tadbalaṃ sarvamasurāṇāṃ durātmanām / mamardābhakṣayaccānyānanyāṃścātāḍayattathā

She crushed that whole army of the mighty, evil-souled asuras; others she devoured, and others again she struck down.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.14

असिना निहताः केचित्केचित्खट्वाङ्गताडिताः । जग्मुर्विनाशमसुरा दन्ताग्राभिहता रणे

asinā nihatāḥ kecitkecitkhaṭvāṅgatāḍitāḥ / jagmurvināśamasurā dantāgrābhihatā raṇe

Some were slain by the sword, some beaten with the skull-topped staff; (other) asuras went to destruction, struck by the points of her teeth in the battle.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.15

क्षणेन तन्महासैन्यमसुराणां निपातितम् । दृष्ट्वा चण्डो ऽभिमैर्भोमाक्षीं तां महासुरः

kṣaṇena tanmahāsainyamasurāṇāṃ nipātitam / dṛṣṭvā caṇḍo 'bhimairbhomākṣīṃ tāṃ mahāsuraḥ

Seeing that great army of the asuras laid low in an instant, Caṇḍa the great asura (rushed) at her of the fearsome eyes...

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

MkP 87.16

शरवर्षैर्महाभीमैर्भोमाक्षीं तां महासुरः । छादयामास चक्रैश्च मुण्डः क्षिप्तैः सहस्रशः

śaravarṣairmahābhīmairbhomākṣīṃ tāṃ mahāsuraḥ / chādayāmāsa cakraiśca muṇḍaḥ kṣiptaiḥ sahasraśaḥ

With most terrible showers of arrows the great asura covered her of the fearsome eyes, and Muṇḍa (covered her) with discs hurled by the thousand.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.17

तानि चक्राण्यनेकानि विशमानानि तन्मुखम् । बभुर्यथार्कबिम्बानि सुबहूनि घनोदरम्

tāni cakrāṇyanekāni viśamānāni tanmukham / babhuryathārkabimbāni subahūni ghanodaram

Those many discs, entering her mouth, looked like very many solar orbs entering the belly of a cloud.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.18

ततो जहासातिरुषा भीमं भैरवनादिनी । काली करालवक्त्रान्तर्दुर्दर्शदशनोज्ज्वला

tato jahāsātiruṣā bhīmaṃ bhairavanādinī / kālī karālavaktrāntardurdarśadaśanojjvalā

Then, in extreme fury, Kālī laughed terribly, roaring dreadfully, blazing with teeth hard to look upon within her gaping mouth.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.19

उत्थाय च महासिंहं देवी चण्डमधावत । गृहीत्वा चास्य केशेषु शिरस्तेनासिनाच्छिनत्

utthāya ca mahāsiṃhaṃ devī caṇḍamadhāvata / gṛhītvā cāsya keśeṣu śirastenāsinācchinat

And mounting her great lion, the Goddess rushed at Caṇḍa; seizing him by the hair, she cut off his head with that sword.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.20

छिन्ने शिरसि दैत्येन्द्रश्चक्रे नादं सुभैरवम् । तेन नादेन महता त्रासितं भुवनत्रयम्

chinne śirasi daityendraścakre nādaṃ subhairavam / tena nādena mahatā trāsitaṃ bhuvanatrayam

When his head was severed, the lord of the Daityas uttered a most dreadful cry; by that great cry the three worlds were terrified.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.21

अथ मुण्डो ऽभ्यधावत्तां दृष्ट्वा चण्डं निपातितम् । तमप्यपातयद् भूमौ सा खड्गाभिहतं रुषा

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

Then Muṇḍa, seeing Caṇḍa struck down, charged at her; and in fury she felled him too to the ground, smitten by her sword.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.22

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

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

Then the remnant of the army, seeing Caṇḍa laid low and Muṇḍa of very great valour (slain), stricken with fear, fled to the (four) quarters.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.23

शिरञ्चण्डस्य काली च गृहीत्वा मुण्डमेव च । प्राह प्रचण्डाट्टहासमिश्रमभ्येत्य चण्डिकाम्

śirañcaṇḍasya kālī ca gṛhītvā muṇḍameva ca / prāha pracaṇḍāṭṭahāsamiśramabhyetya caṇḍikām

And Kālī, taking the head of Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa as well, approached Caṇḍikā and spoke, mingling (her words) with a violent roaring laugh:

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.24

मया तवात्रोपहृतौ चण्डमुण्डौ महापशू । युद्धयज्ञे स्वयं शुम्भं निशुम्भं च हनिष्यसि

mayā tavātropahṛtau caṇḍamuṇḍau mahāpaśū / yuddhayajñe svayaṃ śumbhaṃ niśumbhaṃ ca haniṣyasi

"By me Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, the two great beasts, have been brought here as offerings for you; Śumbha and Niśumbha you shall slay yourself in the sacrifice of battle."

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.25

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

tāvānītau tato dṛṣṭvā caṇāḍamuṇḍau mahāsurau / uvāca kālīṃ kalyāṇī lalitaṃ caṇḍikā vacaḥ

Then, seeing the two great asuras Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa brought (there), the auspicious Caṇḍikā spoke a gracious word to Kālī:

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MkP 87.26

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

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

"Since you have come, taking Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, therefore, O Goddess, you shall be renowned in the world as Cāmuṇḍā."

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition